


Grace's Sacrifice

by Providence7979



Series: A New World [2]
Category: Terminator (Movies), Terminator: Dark Fate
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Lesbian Sex, Light BDSM, Medical Procedures, Movie: Terminator: Dark Fate, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Slow Burn, dark fate spoilers, extreme violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 145,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24569539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Providence7979/pseuds/Providence7979
Summary: In the ruins of the incinerated turbine room of the dam, Dani realised all too suddenly and all too late that she had loved Grace. She carries that loss with her every day in a post Judgement Day world, using it to fuel her drive as Commander Dani Ramos; leading the human Resistance against Legion. She is also acutely aware that the young Grace Harper she saved in the ruins years ago, isn’t ‘her’ Grace. But as time passes, as Grace inevitably joins the Resistance, as fate seemingly intercedes at every turn, and as their attraction grows, can Dani keep the promise she made to herself “I won’t let her die for me again” or is Grace fated to make the ultimate sacrifice once more in order to save Dani?
Relationships: Grace Harper & Dani Ramos, Grace Harper/Dani Ramos
Series: A New World [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1986139
Comments: 53
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> NB: This is a long story with a long slow burn. 
> 
> I've been obsessed with Dani and Graces' love story for months! I started writing this after watching the movie probably a half dozen times (yes I am THAT obsessed!). 
> 
> I'm a first time poster (be gentle) and keen on any feedback or suggestions! 
> 
> Hopefully the first chapter leaves you interested and invested in the characters, and willing to wait out the slow burn because I promise it will be worth it. 
> 
> The first chapters is a lot of World Building and back-story, but stick with me, I promise lots of relationship building, action, and of course, eventually plenty of steamy sex ahead. 
> 
> Thank for reading.

** 2020 **

The Rev-9’s, alloy face half exposed, chain around his face pulled by Grace, hand around his neck, pushed by Carl, defiantly stared at her, determined to reach his prey despite his two powerful opponents. Dani’s stomach curled at the look of cold determination on his face, yet she stood her ground and readied herself. Grace, noting the Rev9’s gaze, felt a deep anger build from deep within her, she planted her feet and pulled back with every ounce of strength she had, letting out a cry filled with rage and determination she heaved until she felt the skin on her forearms split, exposing the subcutaneous mesh beneath, a second later she felt the chain give as the Rev9’s head split. Carl used the pause to heave the Rev-9 into the turbine, almost taking himself with it, if not for Grace who tried to extricate him from the grinding metal.

“go!” Sarah yelled to Dani.

The everything turned to flame and ash and the toxic smell of molten metal.

‘ _Grace!’_ It was her first thought when she pulled herself up and surveyed the wreckage that was now the turbine room. Ears ringing, lungs burning, yet, her thoughts were of her protector, her friend.

“Where’s Grace?” she said, disorientation turning to fear as the seconds passed.

To her right she saw movement, and a distinctive mop of blonde hair.

“There she is” Dani ran towards Grace, knowing immediately that her friend was gravely injured.

“Grace! Grace! Are you okay?”

Grace could only moan. Disoriented and in pain she didn’t seem to recognise Dani at first.

As Gently as she could Dani removed the debris on top of Grace’s body, and gently unstrapped and lifted Grace’s utility vest off her, exposing the catastrophic damage done to her friend.

Dani looked down at the torn flesh, the gushing blood and broken bone, not able to make sense of any of it.

Grace moaned again, the pain almost unbearable, her breathing shallow and ragged. Dani cupped Grace’s face and Grace grasped her forearm bringing her closer and whispered to her. Dani could barely make it out, but it made her head spin.

“Sarah!” Dani yelled frantically for help; she didn’t know how to help Grace. She looked back down into the pain filed eyes of her friend and felt her chest tighten “We’ll get you out of here!” She put her arms around Grace’s shoulders “Grace let’s go” Her friend who seemed to always have an abundance of strength when she needed it, seemed terrifyingly weak, too weak to move, and Dani knew she couldn’t lift Grace by herself.

“Grace let’s go” Dani almost pleaded, but instead Grace reached out a trembling arm and fumbled for a shard of sharp metal. Bringing the tip of it back to her stomach and gently wrapping Dani’s fingers around it.

“My power source” she gasped “Get it close and it’ll fry his neural net” her breathing became more laboured, and her eyes were glazed over from pain, but she was determined for Dani to listen

“Grace, I can’t” Dani couldn’t believe what Grace was asking of her.

“yes” another choked breath “you can” her brilliant blue eyes became clear again and she tried to get Dani to listen.

“Dani, this is what you sent me here to do”

“no” the weight of Grace’s words hit Dani hard. She suddenly realised the truth of Grace’s mission and the grief she felt in that moment almost crushed her.

“We both knew I wasn’t coming back” Grace said with nothing but love and acceptance in her voice. Crushing Dani even more.

“I can’t” She shook her head through tears.

“You saved me” Grace whispered “let me save you”

“No” Dani’s hand began to shake, the shard of metal still just touching Grace’s stomach.

“Please. Do it” their eyes caught, and Grace said on final time with clear determination “do it”

Dani cried in anguish as she pushed down on the blade. Her friend groaned in pain but Dani pushed further. Her stomach turned as she reached inside Grace and felt the soft organic warmth of blood and tissue, contrasting with the hard electric warmth of the metal rod she was searching for. Her fingers curled around it and she looked at her friend, eyes again glazed over in pain, barely breathing.

“I’m sorry” her tears landing on Grace’s broken body. She pulled on the power cell and felt it release. Grace moaned softly once more and let out a ragged breath.

“I’m not” She whispered with simple sincerity as the life, and energy, slowly drained from her.

Dani cupped her face in anguish and watched her blue eyes dim. And a rage began to build.

“noooooooo!” Dani jolted awake! Disoriented and charged with adrenaline. Her fists clenched ready to attack. But like all the times before, only the silence of the night greeted her, and as she slowly relaxed, she felt the wave of loss sweep over her again.

And again, she whispered the words that had become a mantra of sorts over the last 6 months ‘ _I will not let he die for me again’_ Her chest hurt from un-cried tears, and her heart still raced. Sleep would be a stranger tonight as it was every night she had the nightmare. But it wasn’t a nightmare was it? It was a memory.

“Grace” She spoke the name quietly into the night as she got up and washed the sleep from her face. She wasn’t going back to sleep tonight.

She looked over across the room at Sarah, passed out as she was most nights. A mostly finished bottle of whisky on the floor next to her bed.

Dani wished she could chase away her demons in a less self-destructive way.

Sighing, she opened her journal and wrote, exorcising her thoughts onto paper so that perhaps tomorrow would bring with it a decent night’s sleep.

Sometimes it worked.

*******

** 2030 **

Dani sat at her desk and sighed as though the weight of the world were on her shoulders, an important Resistance briefing had just concluded and she was alone for a rare moment. She took in the room around her, so much had changed in the ten years since the dam, virtually everything but the heaviness in her heart. She clasped the end of her necklace rubbing her thumb over the smooth ember and leant back, taking a moment to replay the last ten years, seven of which humanity had been at war with the AI Legion.

She remembered how she and Sarah had laid charges around the turbine room, dragging Grace outside, and detonated the charges, destroying everything inside. Sarah has said that it was vital that nobody was able to reverse engineer any of Carl’s or the Rev-9’s remains. She had tried to convince Dani to leave Grace in the turbine room too, but Dani had vehemently refused, so together they made a makeshift stretcher, and between the two of them, Sarah still only having the use of one good arm, they managed to drag Grace’s heavy body up to a small patch of grass and native flowers, overlooking the dam and the river below.

It had taken them several hours to carry her body there, and several more to dig the grave. Exhausted, injured and weighed down by the sheer weight of Grace’s body, it was slow work. Dani retrieved the two knives Grace seemed to have kept on her at all times; the small black switch blade, and the longer silver butterfly blade which she would twirl in her fingers during idle moment. She used the switchblade to cut off a small lock of her hair and tucked it, and the two knives inside her pocket.

They placed her body inside the grave and Sarah stood silently as Dani committed Grace to the earth as best as her Sunday school memory would allow. Sarah might have said that funerals don’t help them, and goodbyes don’t help us, but to Dani, this was the last thing she could give Grace. A funeral and a goodbye, and to Dani, it meant everything.

By the time they’d finished it was daylight, and emergency services were crawling all over the dam and its’ surroundings, so they hiked out of the ravine and hitched a ride back to Laredo.

She and Sarah had spent the next several days retracing their steps, trying to erase any physical evidence of their presence. Sarah had called on Major Dean’s help again. Thankfully, he’d survived the bullet wound he’d sustained the day before in the warehouse fight and was still willing and able to help.

Dani wasn’t exactly sure how, but somehow, with a phone call from the Major, Sarah managed to gain access to the detainee medical suites at the Detention Centre and erase all of their hard-drives, taking the physical copy of Grace’s file along with hers and Dani’s. Essentially erasing any trace that they had been there.

Sarah started to burn the files, but Dani quickly retrieved Grace’s and flipped through it, not understanding much of what was written, but the X-ray pictures would forever be burnt into her memory. Through the plastic film, Grace’s body looked more machine than human, and Dani was both horrified and awe struck by what Grace must have endured to have had so much foreign machinery added to her very human body.

Sarah allowed Dani a few hours with Grace’s file before she insisted on burning it. She wouldn’t risk anyone getting their hands on something so classified. 

Dani watched as the photo pinned to the front of the file, a photo of Grace, quickly shrivelled and turned to ash. It was the only physical picture there was of Grace, so now Dani made sure to lock away a few of her own in her mind. 

They then made their way to Carls cabin. They knew Alicia and Mateo wouldn’t be returning, at least not any time soon, so they made it their own. Packing up all the pictures and personal trinkets just in case one day his family did come back. And then they refortified the cabin and the grounds.

By all accounts they had the next 22 years before the events which lead to Grace’s mission into the past. But they didn’t know how long they had before Judgement Day, nor did they know who or how Legion was built, and surprisingly, nor did Major Dean.

They were at a temporary loose-ends so Dani decided to focus her attention on finding the present-day Grace. In the three days Grace and Dani spent together she had learned that Grace had been born in Arizona but had moved to Seattle with her family when she was around 10. She got the feeling that Grace was perhaps a teenager when Dani apparently ‘saved’ her.

Much to Sarah’s protests, Dani insisted on taking a trip to Seattle to find the young Grace.

“To what purpose?” Sarah asked bluntly.

“My own” Dani answered back curtly, still hurting from her loss, which she was really only just coming to terms with.

Sarah simply accepted the answer and together they drove for days. It took several more for Sarah to again use one of her seemingly endless contacts to dig up records of all adolescent girls registered in the Seattle school system named Grace. From there they removed all non-Caucasians, and all without siblings as they knew she’d had a brother, and all without heterosexual parents. They were left with a few dozen matches, and Sarah had their school photos printed out by her contact in the school district.

It took Dani less than a minute to identify Grace from the photos. Her eyes were identical, as was the colour of her hair and the quirk of the smile on her lips. It made Dani smile to see this much younger version of the Grace she would eventually come to know staring back at her with an ounce of defiance and a hint of a smile.

“Grace Harper” Dani whispered to herself and smiled. Her surname somehow suited her.

Together, Sarah and Dani drove towards the Harper residence and eventually followed the family to the neighbourhood playground where Dani watched Grace play with her younger brother.

She was tall for her age, which Dani had found out was 12. She moved like a pre-teen who hadn’t quite grown into her body, longed limbed and a bit awkward. and Dani smiled knowing just how much taller Grace would grow over the years. Young Grace was quick to smile, and obviously adored her younger brother. _‘Even now she seems like a protector’_ Dani noted.

Dani wove her fingers through the chain fence around the park and squeezed hard as a wave of grief washed over her, realising that soon, not only would the young girls’ life be irrevocably changed, her whole family dead, but 22 years from now, she might/would/did die by Dani’s hands. She let her tears fall quietly until her anger overtook her grief.

Sarah, silent as always simply stood by the car and observed the comings and goings of the playground, no doubt caught up in her own memories.

Dani looked up as a woman called out Grace’s name, and the girl quickly responded, smiling as she and her brother made their way back to their parents.

Dani smiled gently and made her way back to the Jeep where Sarah was waiting.

Sarah threw her the keys and Dani jumped in the driver’s side. She paused before saying “I won’t let her die for me again” meaning it with every fibre of her being.

Sarah simply nodded once and replied “Then you have to be ready”

And with that they made the long trek back to Carl's cabin to prepare for what was to come. They discreetly stockpiled even more weapons, ammunition, and non-perishable food in Carls bunker. Sarah reached out to her contacts far and wide and eventually Carl's quiet cabin had become a survivalist camp of sorts. Full of a myriad of ex-military, ex-government personnel. Fringe scientists and experimental engineers. Any misfit who took more than a passing interest in conspiracy theories soon found their way to Carl's Camp, which Dani had named it.

Sarah made sure to keep the slightly unhinged fringe elements clear of Dani, but also ensured that Dani managed to learn from those who had real skills and valuable knowledge to impart.

After a year, Dani could strip practically any weapon and put it back together, she could build an IED, she could light a fire with almost anything she had on hand, she could kill her food, identify medicinal plants, she could read complex schematics, and she could understand basic computer programming.

After two years, Dani and Sarah had left Carls Camp behind, finding a more secluded and protected place to establish the second post of the Resistance in the desert of Arizona. Some of Sarah’s contacts from Carls Camp came along with them, including Major Dean, and they began to prepare in earnest. Building what they hoped would be the future base of the Resistance army.

Sarah ensured that Carls Camp would remain an outpost of sorts for the Resistance. A second base should they need one, and perhaps, in time a settlement where survivors could be sent. Sarah envisioned several settlements like Carls Camp being set up around the country, but they needed to work slowly and carefully. They couldn’t bring attention to themselves, so for now, their priority was building the new ‘Base’ and utilising the Texas Settlement as a place to keep resources, to start food propagation on a large scale, to start building under the ground so that when Legion did attack, at least some of humanity could survive.

Because of Grace, they knew that Legion's first move was to shut down all electronic communication. So, they made sure that their new base in Arizona was off-grid. It was fully solar powered with backup generators and didn’t exist on any online platform. It ran via a secure closed-ended network which essentially meant that it could be digital, but that nobody physically outside the camp could access their information. When they did need internet access, they could access a single satellite gateway, always by use of a VPN, and it was strictly forbidden to upload or download and store any data from that connection without running it through some of the most sophisticated malware detection programmes Sarah’s people could get their hands on. Which was to say it was military grade.

Dani wasn’t aware just how much she relied on the internet until that year. But learning to do things the long way taught her so much more and she discovered that she could happily spend years perusing the collection of old encyclopedias, almanacs and journals they had amassed in their quickly growing library.

The base was fast becoming not only the home of the Resistance, but the receptacle of what Dani knew would be lost knowledge if they didn’t act to keep it. So, in addition to supply runs, weapon scavenging, solar panel construction and installations, and green house propagation, she ensured that teams were also sent out to discreetly “borrow” rare books, tools, artwork, and the likes. She made sure her team legitimately purchased farming equipment that had been made obsolete with the onset of the internet and GPS guidance. Same with vehicles, tools, and heavy machinery, anything with two, four, or eighteen wheels and/or and engine that didn’t have a CPU, or could operate without one, was scooped up as discreetly and as legally as possible.

Dani didn’t know exactly where Sarah’s funds came from; she had asked once and received a very brief and very convoluted retelling of the destruction of Cyberdyne, the tech giant that would have created Skynet, and of her access to the Dyson family trust thanks to Danny Dyson, the son of Cyberdyne’s founder Miles Dyson who died helping Sarah destroy what was to become Skynet. Sarah’s funds seemed almost limitless thanks to the Dyson family, and because money would soon mean nothing, they spent what they could as often as they could in order to have a functioning, self-sufficient base when Legion did eventually strike.

**2023**

Before they knew it, three years had passed. Three years of learning, of preparing and of waiting. And eventually what Grace had told them would pass, did. They knew they couldn’t’ stop it, they just didn’t have the intel. Major Dean was able to tell give them approximately six months warning that he’d caught wind of a new military AI called Legion. So, from that day forward, they prepared as if the next could be Judgement Day.

Thanks to all their preparation, their base, and the Texas Settlement survived the first and second strikes, they had ample supplies of grain, oats, and corn to carry them through years of existence, and they had their farms at a point where they were producing crops and would continue to do so every year. They had become a truly self-sufficient network, but they knew that they would soon need to grow stronger, grow bigger, and eventually become more than just survivor settlements, they would need to become the Resistance.

It wasn’t enough to simply exist. They had to find a way to defeat Legion and take their world back. To give humanity a second chance at survival.

The decline of humanity wasn’t drawn out and slow. Legion struck swift and hard, and as Grace had said, millions had died. It took mere weeks for stores and sources of food to be looted, and eventually, that too ran out. And as Grace had foretold, within months billions more died.

It was the hardest thing Dani had ever done. To sit in relative safety, fed and sheltered, while practically the whole world around them crumbled. But Sarah made it clear that announcing their existence would ensure their demise. Desperate people were dangerous people, so they needed to wait out the worst of the attack, and then start to build their numbers.

And so, as the HK’s made their way across the scorched earth looking for survivors. Dani, with Sarah’s help, began to form the Resistance. They began as a mere militia of a few hundred in Arizona, and another couple hundred in Texas, working together with a single purpose.

They were all clear and committed to Sarah’s goal of not only surviving, but eventually saving humanity, so from a rag-tag group of scavengers, they became an organised militia which soon became a well-trained and well organised army. The Resistance Army, Grace had called them, so that’s what Dani and Sarah named them.

But Dani and Sarah knew that this couldn’t just be a military operation. It was an operation to save humanity. And they made sure that everyone in the Resistance knew that was the primary goal.

They knew that in this new world a soldier was just as important as a farmer, and engineer, equally as important as a cook. They needed people of all skill-sets to be a part of the Resistance, and Sarah made it clear that it was vital they find and keep safe people with farming and horticultural knowledge, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and biochemists to ensure the health of survivors, engineers and computer scientists who could keep up with technological development, and yes, of course, anyone who was willing to pick up a weapon and fight to ensure the physical safety of survivors.

Once the first few months of the war had passed, they would head out on reconnaissance missions, gathering survivors barely scrounging a living and take them to what they called a half-way house, basically a holding area which reminded Dani of the Laredo detention centre. Where each survivor would be fed and assessed.

The war had made monsters out of some men and made others into walking PTSD timebombs that needed time and space to heal. Some were simply terrified and glad to be alive, and others had a fire in their bellies to fight back. 

If the survivors were deemed competent and capable, and of course willing, they joined the ranks of the Resistance. If they had military backgrounds or a willingness to learn military skills, they joined the ranks of the Resistance Army. If the survivors they found were unwilling to join the Resistance or deemed a risk to the Resistance for any reason, they were given food and water and returned to relative safe zones across the mid-west.

Sarah was quite clear that the ‘monsters’ they found, the murderers, rapists, cannibals and their like, would not be accepted into the Resistance, nor would they be returned to the outside world where they would simply continue to pose a threat to others. She was comfortable with her role as judge, jury and executioner. And Dani stood by her side and learned how to tell a murderer from somebody who killed to survive. How to tell a real monster from somebody who was broken by the war and had the potential to be healed.

Dani knew that if the Resistance were to succeed, they needed their ranks filled with people who could contribute, people who wouldn’t be a danger to their survival. So over time, Dani became skilled enough to do more than just watch and learn how to weed out Resistance from non-Resistance material.

It was dirty work. It was morally ambiguous work. But when billions had already died in the space of months. Sending a handful of strays unwilling to cooperate back out into the wild or executing a handful of monsters for the sake of those left became an important part in establishing a strong Resistance.

Dani had one rule that was not negotiable when it came to the ‘assessment’ process. If their scouts found survivors who were physically ill or infirmed. They were to be taken care of, healed to the best of their ability before being ‘assessed’. A half dead, injured survivor, when healed could very well become a contributing member of their new society. And the elderly, although posing a potential burden on their resources, deserved a more dignified existence than being turned away simply because they couldn’t contribute. Perhaps it was idealistic. In fact, Sarah said it was so. But Dani wouldn’t budge on the matter, so resources were used in each settlement to develop hospices and eventually hospitals.

A decision which would prove invaluable in the years to come.

Dani, who was almost immediately seen as an equal leader to Sarah had entrusted the set-up and development of various ‘Settlements’ to Sarah, who put to good use her uncanny ability to determine not only a persons’ intent but their abilities. She sent some of her most trusted engineers, scientists, farmers, builders and teachers out north east and south to establish similar settlements to the one in Texas, all but one of these settlements were to be non-military. Like the Arizona base, they were to be non-digital, and importantly, they needed to be mostly underground except for farming land so that Legions HK’s wouldn’t easily detect them. Each settlement would have a military guard, but they would not have their own armies or militias.

Because Legion struck hard and fast, Army bases across the country were left decimated, unmanned, yet, relatively well stocked. Hospitals and manufacturing plants as well. So, the Resistance repurposed everything they could for their own use. They built reserve armouries and medical facilities at each Settlement. They took valuable manufacturing equipment for new textile, mechanical, and pharmaceutical manufacturing sites. The Base is where all of the resources went to first, and from there, supplies were redistributed to the Settlements according to their need or capacity to utilise the material. 

There was the Texas Settlement, still referred to as Carl's Camp which was set up with a manufacturing plant for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, and of course, thanks to the large grazing and agricultural areas, they also supplied the bulk of the fresh and smoked beef products to the Resistance, an abundance of cotton for textile manufacturing, and sugar cane to produce valuable raw sugar and an array of glucose rations for the Settlements. Texas was also given charge of producing the bulk of the Resistance’s solar energy supply. Cattle pastures were interspersed with solar farms. Electricity was stored or transported to where it was needed by hundreds of massive solar batteries. The Texas Settlement eventually expanded their solar farms into New Mexico and Oklahoma, ensuring an almost never-ending supply of power for the 5 large Resistance communities and the dozen or so smaller outposts.

The Seattle Settlement was set up with a manufacturing plant for Engineering corps. Where new equipment was manufactured and tested if the Base in Arizona didn’t have the capacity to. They were also the source of the Resistance’s Seafood and fresh water supply. Fresh water wasn’t particularly hard to come by, the initial Legion assault literally lasted two days during which time, every large-scale, non-nuclear weapon was used against humanity. Humans managed to use tactical nuclear bombs on Florida and New York which were thought to be the Legion strongholds at the time, but once Legion took down their networks, it was impossible for the military to use any more, so it was a stroke of luck that the majority of the Earth and it’s water supplies hadn’t been irradiated.

Open pastures remained fertile, and fresh water supplies remained flowing. It was just the cities, townships, and infrastructure which were decimated. Still, Sarah and Dani agreed that due to its geographical location, the Rainy City would collect, store and transport fresh water on a regular basis. Washington also became the main agricultural grower of fruit and vegetables for the Resistance. Their manufacturing plant churning out canned and preserved produce for storage and distribution at rate well beyond what was needed to keep everyone fed.

Because of its former military presence, San Diego was built several manufacturing plants specifically for weapons development. They essentially took over the abandoned Naval base, and consolidate resources and equipment from neighbouring Pendleton, Coronado and Miramar to create an underground, state-of-the-art military grade manufacturing plant specifically for military equipment. Being a source of military equipment meant that they were also the most frequently targeted Settlement by Legion, and had been almost decimated several times over, but being a source of military equipment also meant that they had the weaponry to defend against the attacks. Next to the Arizona Base, the San Diego Settlement was the second most militarised, and was not used as a safe haven for survivors, rather, a research and development branch for the Arizona Base.

The fourth Settlement was set up in Ohio and was predominantly an agricultural Settlement. It’s where most of the supplies of soy, corn, dairy, eggs, wheat, pork and poultry came from. Their manufacturing plants were set up to preserve these products, to dehydrate fresh produce so it could be stored for long lengths of time. The Resistance may have had ample supply of food, but it more often than not came in the form of a long-life food rations or reconstituted in the kitchens from a can or a packet of powder. Fresh food was delivered when time and safety permitted, but the supply of smoked, freeze-dried, preserved, or dehydrated products, especially protein products, was what the Resistance mainly subsided on. Wheat production however, meant that most Settlements at least had fresh bread and baked goods in supply, one small luxury the Resistance got to keep from the old world.

The Settlements became the life source for the Resistance, and the Arizona Base became the heart of the Resistance. Neither could survive without the other.

The Settlements not only grew and supplied food, they set-up or repurposed manufacturing plants for anything the Resistance might require. Parts for the dragonflies, helos, or Humvees. Manufacturing new weaponry which had been developed by the engineers on the Base. Keeping vital supplies of medicine and medical equipment in production.

It was horrific to think about, but because Legion essentially wiped out most of humanity in mere months, there was a plethora of useful, undamaged manufacturing equipment, machinery, and non-edible supplies for the Resistance to pick over and use.

Burnt out steel mills still hand plenty of steel. Pharmaceutical manufacturers still had bulk supplies of base chemical materials, Mines still contains minerals, and wells still had oil, and then there was the Federal stockpile, which the Resistance managed to access with Major Dean’s assistance a couple years into the war. Billions of dollars-worth of fuel, weapons, minerals, textiles, engineering & construction supplies, medicine and medical equipment. All untouched because humanity simply hadn’t had the time to react and utilise any of it.

The horrific irony of the situation was that had Legion taken years to decimate humanity in a prolonged war, none of these reserves or supplies would be available. The Resistance was only well stocked and well supplied because Legion was swift and precise in its attack. Humanity was caught off guard and as a result, in a virtual blink of an eye, the world became a place where those left with the will, the know-how and manpower could forage for everything they needed quite successfully. Everything that was, except food.

The Resistance Base in Arizona was the most hidden, and was therefore where Dani decided to keep their main military assets, and, eventually, almost all of the Augment technology. She didn’t’ want the scattering of outposts and the larger settlements becoming targets because Legion detected an unusual military presence, except of course for San Diego, which was purpose built for military weapons development.

She wanted the Settlements, in general, to be places where survivors could thrive, could make lives for themselves, could help contribute to the Resistance by means of producing vital equipment and food. She ensured Settlements were well protected from outside elements by providing a military presence of soldiers, munitions, and vehicles, and that they also had a rule of law similar to pre-Judgment Day international law. Because without law, the communities could collapse and devolve into barbarism as Carl had predicted, and as had unfortunately happened outside of protected Resistance territories.

So, after a year of simply surviving, and figuring out through trial and error how the Resistance would operate, Dani decided that they needed to come up with a way to ensure there was a rule of law, and it couldn’t be military law. The Resistance itself was seen as a military force, but Dani wanted survivors, especially on the settlements not to fear or resent living under Resistance protection.

And as much as they had screened Resistance members, humans were unpredictable, and it was wartime, so there needed to be a way to enforce peace when people became unsettled or discontent.

Before Judgement Day, Dani worked at the car manufacturing plant with her brother during the day and took classes at night. She studied Political Science because she was idealistic and wanted to eventually make a difference in Mexico somehow. Now, ironically, her education helped her understand that without structure, without rules, the society they’d built would eventually crumble from within, if Legion didn’t do it first.

So with the help of civil rights attorneys, a supreme court justice, a UN ambassador and several other law makers, Dani helped drew up a charter adopted from policies and legislative woks from the Geneva convention, the UN Charter, The Human Rights Commission, and as much as she struggled with it, she also incorporated elements of the U.S constitution since it was technically the U.S on which they were building their base.

Together they established the new rule of law for all members of the new world, and she allowed those that wished to live outside of those rules, free passage to do so outside of Resistance territory.

**2025**

Within years, the Resistance was the single most powerful and well organised military and civilian co-operative unit in existence. People who chose to dwell outside of the Resistance were not bothered as long as they didn’t bother the Resistance.

There were countless other militias around the world, fighting Legion in their own ways, but over time, Legion picked these smaller groups off until what remained of them inevitably died off, or sought Resistance shelter if they could.

Dani had no interest in running an oligarchy or dictatorship. Her single focus was to form a military presence strong enough that could defeat Legion and protect humanity as it reclaimed the world.

So, she ensured a Resistance-wide committee was formed, a committee that was comprised of civilians and ex-military personnel. People who used to be town planners, law makers, civil rights lawyers, civil engineers, mayors, judges, founders of NGO’s and aid groups, doctors, and members of law enforcement were all made a part of this 100 member committee which oversaw the running of all parts of the Resistance except the Military arm which was essentially seen as being headed by Sarah, Dani, and Major Dean, the latter of whom was invaluable in his ability to bring structure to what had essentially started off as a militia.

When it came to the Committee, all votes concerning the Settlements were made unanimously unless a veto was used, and only Dani, Sarah, and two other members, Dr Evelyn Beraud, and Major Dean, had veto rights, which, to be fair, had rarely had to been used.

Major dean died four years into the resistance, out on a recon mission, doing what he did best. The Major made a deathbed recommendation to appoint a level-headed, competent and eager Sergeant from his team, William Hadrell, as his replacement on the Committee, to which Sarah, Dani and Evelyn easily accepted.

Dani took a moment from her musings and sat back in her chair in the main briefing room. Carl may have predicted a 75% chance that human civilisation would devolve in barbarism, but he was wrong, at least when it came to the portion of civilisation she saw over. Just as his prediction of a 12% success rate of destroying the Rev-9 without the EMP’s came to be proven false. Dani remembered Grace again, as she did most days.

She had had Grace’s short lock of hair encased in a small amber medallion, the size of a quarter which she wore around her neck. She would reach for it during times of important decision making, remember her tall protector, and reminding herself that the choices she made now could not lead to Grace being put at risk years from now. Reminding herself of the sacrifice Grace had made so that Dani might live to save humanity. Dani couldn’t even wrap her head around of the enormity of what that really meant.

She felt the small pocket at the back of her pants and felt the reassuring presence of Grace’s switchblade, and then she reached into one of the concealed pockets of her pants and withdrew the longer butterfly knife. She began twirling it and smiled as she remembered all the times Grace had used both to great effect. Most memorably when she confidently flicked the switchblade out, much to Sarah’s disbelief, to cut the Humvee from the ropes holding it to the dam, and when she twirled out her butterfly knife and sliced a fly in half, partly to convince, partly to impress her uncle that she was indeed half machine.

Over the years, Dani had practiced twirling the knife as Grace had, and she found it was actually a very effective way to allow her to think through problems or consume large amounts of information during briefing meetings. She felt the weight of the blade, and deftly swung it, performing several different rotations around her wrist and across her fingers as she deciding she was in fact satisfied with the progress made over the years. She flicked the blade around her wrist and snapped it back into its locked position, tucking it back in its’ place before deciding to try and work through some paperwork.

If only she knew that fate could be misdirected, it’s course could be changed, but sometimes, beyond all reason, beyond all expectation, some things remained absolutes.

****

Immediately after the war began, Legion no longer just desired to inhabit just the digital world, but the physical one as well. In order to do that they would need to build massive manufacturing strongholds where their digital technology could be made into 3D machines, capable of physical interaction with the outside world.

Initially the Legion digital attack was launched from a military base in Florida. But as Legion overpowered humanity, they moved their physical base of operations to mostly uninhabitable territories around Patagonia and Alaska. Wide open cold expanses of land where human presence was rare, and could be detected and eliminated easily.

But still. The Resistance maintained outposts as close to Legion strongholds as they could. Sending out drones, radio operated recon units, and sometimes a human recon unit to gather intelligence and feed it back to the Base.

Not long after Legion took the world, they built the utilitarian Hunter Killers, HK’s, the artificially intelligent hover-like warships which maintained a search and destroy mission against humans. HK’s became humanities next greatest threat, and for a time, it was safer to run or hide from a HK than it was to engage with one. But the Resistance eventually devised traps and utilised surface to air weaponry to take them down or disable them.

HK’s always remained a threat throughout the war, but less so than they were in the first few years.

Then Legion began producing the Rev’s.

The Rev 1 was utilitarian, and easy to spot, heavily weaponised but not built for defence so the Resistance was not only able to identify them before they arrived, they were able to destroy them before they could attack.

Each dead Terminator was taken back to the base where it was taken apart, reverse engineered, and whatever could be utilised by the Resistance was then added to their arsenal. Whether it be a new type of weapon, a more advanced microchip, a metal alloy they hadn’t seen before.

The Rev 2 was basically a repetition of the Rev 1, but with more offensive capabilities. It could sustain much more damage during a battle, but it wasn’t fully autonomous and therefore could not devise strategy like humans could. So again, this model soon became ineffective.

The Rev 3 & 4 were all upgrades from their predecessors. All humanoid in form, all with sightly more advanced microprocessors, more adept at defence, and with more advanced weaponry. But still, they seemed to be controlled by one central CPU which made adapting to multiple strategies nearly impossible for them.

The one Achilles heel all the Rev’s had, other than their inability to “think” for themselves, was that they somehow stood out to canines well before humans could get a fix on them. So, the Legion K9 units became an essential arm of the Resistance Army and a good dog soon became almost as valuable as a good gun.

This is when the HK’s began collecting or harvesting humans rather than killing them. The resistance couldn’t figure out why, and the proceeding 6 months of quiet made everyone on edge, but allowed them time to fortify, to restock, to rest.

Then the Rev 5 was introduced. It was the first Rev to actually have a biological epidermal layer, and suddenly the harvesting of humans made horrific sense. Legion had harvested human tissue, most likely stem cells, to grow skin for their new terminators. Skin that bled, and healed just like a humans’

The Rev 5 looked human and could move like a human. But underneath, it was still essentially a modified version of the one before it. It could string sentences together, but if anyone paid close attention to them, they could never pass as human. This Rev however was the first to infiltrate the Resistance, almost successfully destroying the San Diego Settlement. It was able to bypass security at the time because the Resistance hadn’t had to adapt any type of infra-red or x-ray scanning. 

The Rev 5 was a successful infiltrator as long as there wasn’t a dog present, and as long as it wasn’t required to interact with humans for any length of time. They infiltrated and killed several recon units, several outposts, and the San Diego settlement before the Resistance could get ahead of them. But with an increase in K9 units and x-ray scanning, the Rev 5 also became relatively easy to defeat.

The Rev-6 was a completely different model. It was made up of a liquid metal that nobody had ever seen before, except Dani and Sarah of course. It could move through grated objects, it could essentially become a puddle then reform, it could look human, like any human, upon demand, and it mimicked human behaviour more accurately than its predecessors, but because it was liquid metal, the resistance soon developed weapons that could either melt them, freeze them, or both. They figured out that thermal weapons were the most effective, and soon the Rev-6’s also became something the Resistance were adept at terminating.

But from this liquid metal, the Resistance was able to engineer nanite technology which would eventually become vital to the Augment program.

The Rev 7’s were a completely different beast. They operated independently, but with a singular mission. To destroy and or kill humans and their habitations. They had a polymimetic liquid metal exterior and a metal alloy endoskeleton, which they could separate upon command. They were virtually indestructible in the beginning. The 7’s had drone capabilities and could move quickly in flight, but when they were on land is when they became truly terrifying.

Legion seemed to have abandoned infiltration as a weapon, and instead resorted to brute force destruction. The Rev-7’s were able to separate their liquid exoskeleton from their endoskeleton and essentially become two soldiers.

They were equipped with armour piercing weaponry, and instead of arms, they had tentacles, six deadly, armour piercing tentacles.

The 7’s were efficient, deadly, and brutal, but had no infiltration capability. Of all the previous Rev’s, these were the ones that the Resistance wanted to research the most, but they were also the hardest to kill. The plasma rounds could tear through the liquid alloy half, but the metallic endoskeleton was harder to destroy.

Eventually The engineering corps managed to create a hybrid round specifically for the Rev-7, an armour piercing explosive round which managed to take both endo-and exoskeleton out, But it generally took more than one round to kill the machines which meant that they could still inflict massive damage before they were put to ground.

The 7’s were prized by the Resistance for the information they could provide the hungry engineers and scientists of the R&D corps. The 7’s independence from the main Legion CPU meant that if they could study them, they might be able to adapt their microprocessors, their melted down metal even, for use in their own weaponry.

Not long after their first few captures, the resistance started experimenting with using legion technology on injured soldiers. The Commander was vehemently against it for some unknown reason, but the Committee eventually overruled her, and the medical unit joined with the engineering corps and they began using legion metals to replace amputated limbs, to reinforce broken bones. They even began melting down and using the metal alloy from the Rev-7 endoskeleton as defensive plating for their already fortified tunnel entry gates, for body armour in their tactical vests and helmets, and as defensive re-enforcements on their vehicles. Making it harder, but not impossible for Legion weaponry to penetrate.

As always. With scientific progress comes the desire for more, human ingenuity was something Legion lacked, and that was what gave the Resistance the edge every time. Eventually the Resistance initiated what they called the Augmentation program, a program designed to use Legion technology to help heal injured soldiers, provide them with field ready prosthetics, and eventually incorporate Legion microprocessors and power-cores into soldiers to essentially make them super-human.

Again, the Commander battled every advancement the Augmentation programme developed until she saw their success on field reports and daily briefings. As a military leader she had to acknowledge the clear advantage the Augments provided on the field, so she handed over responsibility of the program to her head of engineering, Dr Evelyn Beraud. She knew she couldn’t be unbiased when it came to Augments, and she also knew that Evelyn, who had become a close friend, would never cross any clear moral or ethical lines when it came to Augment development.

Within a couple years, the Augment program had gone from making simple prosthetics, to fully incorporating Legion technology into a soldiers body, forming neural connections with adapted microprocessors, and using Legion adapted power sources to provide the necessary energy to operate the new machinery. The new soldiers were referred to as Augments. Human super soldiers, and they became the Resistance’s most deadly weapon against Legion.

The Rev 8 was basically a blip in the radar. Legion attempted using a liquid alloy as an endoskeleton surrounded by the poly-alloy exoskeleton. But the Resistance figured out that a single explosive plasma charge could destroy them without much of a fight.

Then came news of the first stages of the development of the Rev-9. Scouts had obtained visual confirmation that the new Rev was in the initial stages of development. From reconnaissance missions they knew that Legion only had the resources to make approximately 10 Rev-9’s, which meant approximately two for each of the settlements and the Base. But they didn’t know how or when they’d attack, nor when they’d be mission ready, so the Resistance kept up their battle with the seemingly endless stream of Rev-7’s.

However, the Rev-9 was the Terminator that Dani knew the most about but couldn’t offer the engineering corps any information they didn’t already have. It was an advanced prototype from all accounts, containing mimetic liquid metal exterior with a metal alloy endoskeleton which was virtually indestructible.

Nobody in the Resistance had ever seen a Rev-9 face to face, and weren’t likely to for years, but they’d seen images taken during the prototype phase. As Dani looked at the latest intel report, she recalled Grace’s words “You don’t fight a Rev-9, you run from it”

And that’s essentially what the Resistance did for almost the next decade. They fought every Rev-7 they could, they destroyed every HK they encountered, and they ran when intel suggested that a Rev-9 would be deployed. But they never were.

****

**2033**

Dani sighed heavily as she looked at the stack of paper in front to her, it was two in the morning and her mind just didn’t want to shut down, but she really didn’t feel like going over more briefings.

It seemed like a lifetime ago, but in reality, it was only 10 years. Only. The term seemed laughable really. In only 10 years, an AI had launched an attack on humanity, billions had died, and Dani had somehow found herself exactly where Grace had said she’d be. On the frontlines, leading humanity against Legion. The Commander of the Resistance.

Commander, she smirked. It was a title she accepted reluctantly, and only because Sarah had asked her to.

She’d spent seven years at Sarah’s side. If anyone should have been the Commander, it should have been her. But cancer didn’t take a pause for status or the magnitude of ones’ contribution to the survival of the human race.

She glanced up to the dark Aviators she kept on her bedside table. The only memento she kept of her mentor. That, and the decade’s worth of knowledge she’d imparted.

She flicked through the evening’s briefing and sat up when she came across the Seattle settlement report. Seattle held obvious importance to her, but at the same time she tried not to pay it particular attention, trying not to tempt fate into anything that had to do with her somehow having Grace joining the Resistance Army.

She put the report down and stared at the wall of her quarters remembered the day she led a scouting mission in 2025, 8 years ago somewhere in the Washington State area.

It was the day she found Grace in the ruins of what was once a parking lot. She had initially mistaken her for a young boy at the time. A boy about to be beaten or killed for the contents of his backpack.

Dani had stepped in and stopped the attack. She’d asked the boy his name and felt a kick in her stomach as the teenager answered “Grace” a mixture of hope, excitement, and terror raced through her as she pulled back the hood Grace was wearing, revealing a distinctive mop of unruly blonde hair and those unmistakable piercing blue eyes standing out against the grime on the young girls face.

Grace would have been around 17 then, but half starved and wearing baggy clothing she looked 14, barely an adult but somehow, she’d survived the apocalypse by herself for the last few years.

In the old world, Dani would have also seemed young to most, but at 27 at the time, she’d become one of the leaders of the resistance. People listened to her, followed her, just as ‘her’ Grace had said they would.

“Grace” she said with kindness and recognition in her voice “I’m Daniella. Dani” But hearing the echo of older Grace in her ears _‘you saved me, and you raised me’_ she knew she could not follow the same path.

Dani smiled as she recalled helping Grace up off the floor only to realise that even as a teenager, she’d already surpassed her in height.

Instead of taking the girl under her wing and raising her as was foretold, Dani sent her as far away from the front line as possible. The underground settlement for refugees in Seattle, a settlement of survivors, where anyone could learn to be engineers, doctors, mechanics, welders, farmers, as long as they contributed. Anything to help the resistance and ensure the survival of the human race.

Dani thought if she could prevent Grace from enlisting, stop her from ever becoming a soldier, she would at the very least stop her nightmare from occurring. Yet, at least every few nights in her dreams she saw Grace die, and old fears kept bubbling to the surface.

Dani came back to the present for a moment and wrapped her fingers around the amber medallion around her neck, thinking of the Grace from 13 years ago.

Dani had accepted years ago, what she failed to recognise then. She had loved Grace. She believed she had loved her from the moment she turned around and saw Grace, weak and sick, leaning on the front of the truck, begging Dani to listen to her, begging Dani to let her protect her, even though she could barely stand. In that moment, Dani felt a mix of compassion, gratitude, resolve, and fear, a mix which she later recognised as the beginnings of love. Of loving somebody selflessly and wholly.

Dani never got to articulate her love to her beautiful protector, yet every action each of them took, spoke of that love. The unconscious way they orbited each-other, the gentle touch of a hand on a shoulder, the fierceness of their desire to protect the other. She knew Grace had loved her and the Dani from her future, in those few frantic moments spent on the floor of the turbine room before she died, Grace had at least confirmed that.

“we both knew I wasn’t coming back” Dani’s heart hurt just hearing the words in her head, knowing that Grace was speaking of the future her. Speaking of them as a “we” and knowing that despite whatever they had shared, the future Dani had let Grace go back, both of them knowing in some way, that Grace was sacrificing herself. It made her both hate and admire the Dani in Grace’s future. And it made her realise she loved Grace, for having known death was a possibility but doing it anyway. For her courage, and for her ever-present ability to share her courage and strength with her young charge.

Dani had only realised that those feeling were reciprocated when it was too late. When she had finally worked up the strength to end her friends’ life, she realised just how much Grace meant to her. And then, all too quickly, it was too late.

Grace had whispered _‘te quiero’_ to her just before she encouraged Dani to remove her power source. She hesitated and saw the truth of it in Grace’s eyes. She bowed her head and her grip around the shard of metal loosened, but Grace urged her on.

“I’m sorry” she cried, but for so many more reasons that she knew how to articulate.

“I’m not” Grace had whispered as her human body had gradually died.

The weight of what had just transpired between them hit her harder than anything in her life had previously. Harder than losing her mother when she was a child, harder than watching Diego die in front of her eyes, harder that knowing her father had been killed at the hands of the Rev.

This woman, laying on the floor, had literally just died at Dani’s hands. But had sacrificed herself for love, for somebody she loved, and for whom she knew had loved her back.

Later, in quiet moments, when Sarah first got really sick. She told Dani that she had seen how much Grace had loved her. Seen the way she looked at her, protected her. She said she was sorry that she was such an asshole to the young soldier, and more so that Dani never got the chance to reciprocate that love, because that too was apparently evident to Sarah right away, even though Dani had realised it far too late.

Dani had spent over a decade mourning her friend. Mourning the love they had silently shared. And more recently, hoping with everything she had, that history would not repeat itself. Hoping that the Grace in this timeline would remain in the settlements, that legion would be destroyed here in the present and that the TD chamber she’d been hearing rumours of, were just that.

The rebellion had been growing steadily for years, and hope was building that there was an end in sight. She knew that her Grace had been sent back from 2042. That was 12 years away, And Dani hoped that somehow the path she and Sarah had created together may have changed that timeline and the end was in fact just on the horizon. And perhaps it didn’t include Grace at all this time.

***

She came back to the present and looked back at the Seattle report and as she read through it, she slowly realised, with a heavy heart, that she would have to head there soon. She called up to the flight crew and booked herself onto the morning dragonfly flight out to the Settlement.

Putting the report down, she went to her footlocker, packed her bag, and soon fell into a restless sleep, memories flitting in and out of her mind, some so real as to almost feel like replayed video, some so real she could almost feel them. Watching a much younger Grace, only 12 at the time, playing with her brother, and then of Grace laying on the floor of the turbine room, dying. She woke in a panic as usual, got up and splashed water on her face.

Sometimes, when sleep evaded her, she would turn to the journal Sarah had suggested she keep. Reading parts of them usually calmed her, reminded her of what they were fighting for. So, she reached into her footlocker and pulled out her tattered journal and read over some of her entries. It calmed her to relive the days she’d spent with Sarah but she almost always flicked through her journal so she could skip through her retelling of her time with Grace. That part she left for quiet moments when she needed to remember her protector, needed to remember what else it was she was fighting for _‘Besides the survival of the human race’_ she thought sardonically.

As she picked up abut a third of the way through and read, images of Sarah replayed for her, of her network of questionable friends and of how she took the time and effort to make sure they all knew who Dani was and the importance of training her to be the leader of the Resistance.

***

_“They all lent their expertise willingly, helped to train me in everything from weapons, hand to hand combat, survival skills, and how to make a still for either ethanol fuel, or whisky, depending on mine (or Sarah’s) needs. They taught me to fish and hunt, to clean and skin my kill before eating it. To be honest, after killing and cleaning the animals, I had little stomach to eat them, but I did it. I did it because these were Sarah’s people._

_They taught me war strategy. Strategies used in Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and some enthusiast named Billy even taught me strategies from the American civil war, which believe it or not, were actually pretty impressive._

_I felt like a sponge who absorbed everything. Knowing that some of it was trivial, but, nonetheless. Sara trusted these people, and they had accepted me without question and shared themselves with me, so of course I would offer them the same courtesy Sarah did._

_Together Sarah and I built that little settlement, built it and stocked the Arizona base for when Judgement Day arrived. I had initially tried to convince her that it could be stopped, but Sarah knew better. If it wasn’t this judgement day, it would be another. Better to prepare for the one we knew was coming and be ready to begin fighting back once our enemy had shown its’ face. Of course, at the time I swore she was wrong, but I’m not so sure now._

_Sarah and I had only had a few days with Grace, and unfortunately Sarah hadn’t managed to get any specific information about the origins of legion from the recalcitrant soldier, so all we had was an approximate timeline. I never really understood the resistance and rivalry Grace and Sarah had. I wish it had been different for them both._

_Judgement day eventually came in 2023. And as Grace had said, billions died in the wake of the food shortages. But our small community had kept ourselves off-line, had kept our heads down, built our numbers, and just kept working on plans to defeat legion._

_If I’m being honest. It made me sick to know that billions died because they didn’t have the forewarning we did. I tried to make Sarah listen to me when I said we could take more people; we could save so many more. But now, years later, I know she was being pragmatic, a skill I’m still trying to learn which is why I have pragmatic people who work next to me. Advise me when my emotions try to get in the way as they so often do._

_***_

Dani looked up from her journal and thought about the base today and how far they’d come. She smiled and went back to her scribbling.

_***_

_Under Sarah’s leadership the settlement grew, and we filled our ranks with engineers, scientists, teachers, ex-military personnel, farmers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, biochemists, and yes, even politicians much to Sarah’s dismay._

_Sarah suggested that I was a natural leader who knew how to delegate tasks so as to make everyone feel included. She said that people gravitated toward me, said I was firm yet kind. Optimistic but serious about the challenge that lay ahead. And that I had proven myself in the eyes of almost everyone there. I wasn’t sure what she was getting at, the Resistance was barely formed, but turns out she was strategizing for a leadership structure._

_Turns out the powers that be, agreed with her when I continued to join the front lines each time Legion came close to us, or each time the Resistance took down a patrolling HK, or each time I went on recon missions and brought back either more intel or more survivors. I was unknowingly proving her argument for my case._

_I never needed protection by the ‘real’ soldiers, in fact could out match almost all of them in nightly competitions of striping down weapons, of target practice, and of grappling. Despite my size, I had been taught by some of the best and learned that my size could be an advantage._

_***_

She looked up from her journal again wondering if the person she had become now would have been able to prevent Grace’s death all those years ago? Would she have been able to help take on the Rev-9 instead of taking out her friends’ power-source. She sighed and tried to think of other things.

Dwelling on Grace made her frustrated, sad and angry, and Grace’s memory didn’t deserve that. She went back to her written memories.

***

_About a year after judgement day, Sarah and a few others put forward a leadership structure motion. I initially resisted the idea of ranks within the resistance, but Sarah and a few of her close advisors suggested that it was important in ensuring order. It gave people somebody to look up to, to take instructions from, to feel a part of a team was important to most people. In no way did I think I was “that” person, but Sarah did. I wish we could have talked about that more._

_I was busy trying to figure out the news rules of law with my team of advisors, while she was busy getting the Resistance army ready for a formal structure with the help of Major Dean._

_Those within the Settlement that disagreed on a leadership structure or the new Settlement law, formed their own survivalist camp not far from the Texas-New Mexico border. They traded with us when they needed to, but otherwise, we operated independently of one another._

_I was named Commander of the Resistance by unanimous vote, and quickly selected a handful of people to work under me and pick their own teams to work under them._

_Captain Hadrell, Major Dean’s replacement, was a young sergeant in the Army when he joined the Resistance, but his loyalty, level-headedness, and commitment to the destruction of Legion soon made him one of my most trusted advisors, a Captain in the Resistance. Importantly he had Sarah’s respect._

_I had asked a young French engineer by the name of Doctor Evelyn Beraud to join the ranks and become a Captain, but she immediately refused. Asking instead if she could take a seat on the Committee and organise the engineers and scientists in the Resistance to form a research team, specifically purposed for intel gathering, weapons development, and all things Legion._

_Evelyn wasn’t a soldier before the war, she was a scientist, a doctor, and I understood that using her mind to help the cause would be much more effective. So instead of making her a Captain, I made her my right hand. I looked after overall strategy, Hadrell, looked after Military operations, and Evelyn looked after the science, and Sarah watched over us all._

_Together, Sarah, Evelyn, Major Dean and William became Resistance leadership. Outside of any official rank within the Resistance, our role in the committee was to ensure to prosperity of the settlements._

_Together, we nominated members of a larger committee, and its’ numbers grew as settlements grew. But Hadrell, Sarah, Evelyn, and I were its’ head, and apparently by some mystery of fate, I was the Commander._

_The more I could delegate to the committee, the more the committee could delegate to the communities, the more in control the community felt, and the better everything seemed to work._

_Sarah taught me focus, determination, detachment and self-preservation, Grace taught me empathy, courage and honour. And I suppose my natural leaning before all this was compassion, drive, and kindness. So, with all that on board, I tried to acknowledged each person’s individual strengths as much as I could, I tried to be involved as much as possible, and I tried to assign people positions within the Resistance where they would be of best use._

_***_

Dani skipped several pages that were always hard for her to read. Of the time Sarah got sick and she watched over her mentor as she slowly became frail and bedridden. She refused to die without dignity and had eventually found a way to but a bullet through her head before the cancer could take her. But for some reason, she still thought of Sarah as having been taken away from her by the disease. Perhaps it was an injustice to Sarah’s memory, but it’s how she processed it.

***

_And from a settlement, to a community, to a working society, the Resistance has become what it is now. I wish Sarah had lived to see it. Or better yet, could have lived to see the conclusion of all of this. I hope in some way she’s reading this over my shoulder and cursing or rolling her eyes._

_***_

Dani flicked through the pages and stopped randomly at one of her later entries, made a couple years ago.

***

_I’ve got such complicated feelings of indebted gratitude towards Grace as my protector, respect and love toward her as a mentor, but also instinctual protectiveness as though she were my charge, and if I’m being honest, as the years have passed, and I’ve kept up with her reports, I can see such mirrored personalities, and because of that, also the potential there for love toward her as more than just a charge. She was older than me when we first met, so confident, strong, powerful, haunted, yet compassionate. When we met again she was angry and scared, younger than me, But as soon as I looked into her eyes, it was ‘my Grace’ I saw looking back, I knew everything she had inside of her and everything she could grow up to be. This time travel stuff is some real fucked up shit, especially when it involves the heart._

_Was it possible for her to love 2020 me AND 2042 me at the same time? Because she obviously did, I can see that now. And Is it possible for me to open myself up to feeling more for her now, even though she’s younger than me now by almost 10 years? I’ve basically known her since she was a teenager. I have no guidebook for these questions. Granted, ten years in either direction for us both didn’t seem to stop us coming together either in her future or in my past, and yet again, that 10 years exists now, in our present. Should it be a big deal?_

***

Dani sighed heavily put her journal away. She’d read it probably a hundred times and it had become to sound more like somebody else’s’ autobiography rather than her own lived experience.

She picked up the Seattle report again and flipped to the page that had drawn her interest earlier.

Amongst all the chaos and organisation over the years Dani had surreptitiously kept tabs on Grace after their carpark encounter in 2025. She learned that Grace had first finished her GED, and then become a science teacher which pleased Dani. She could see her raising and guiding the next generation.

But tonight, Dani received word that Grace Harper had put in an application for the medic corps and Dani’s stomach sank. Medics were an important part of the army, but they weren’t combat soldiers and weren’t often on the front line until the battle was over. Still. It was much closer to the Resistance Army than being a teacher was, and Dani couldn’t help herself from wanting to intervene in some way if she could.

As a medic Grace would be helping the rebellion in invaluable ways, saving lives even. It should have been more than Dani could hope for. But just the thought of Grace receiving even basic weapons and combat training made her uneasy.

Daylight soon broke and Dani left her musings and grabbed her bag, heading toward the hanger. 

_“You know you can’t control her choices”_ She could hear Sarah’s disembodied voice say sardonically before she jumped into the carrier.

 _“I know. I just need to see her”_ She said in silent reply and the dragonfly lifted off and headed toward the Seattle.

Captain Hadrell had joined her on this flight. One of the senior Captains and their team always went with the Commander whenever she left base. If it had to be any of them, Dani was happy it was William. She got along well with the former British Royal Marine. He was a behemoth of a man, but Dani knew his softer side. She also appreciated his sardonic humour which reminded her so much of Sarah’s. Captain Hadrell was also an Augment. It’s not something she liked to dwell upon, but he was one of the few dozen or so soldiers in the resistance who had volunteered for and survived the procedure which Evelyn’s team had developed. He’d proven his worth several times over, and he was a welcome companion on this trip.

“3 hours Commander” he spoke over the comms.

She nodded.

“We’ve decided to try and hug the coast as much as possible. Intel shows little Legion activity there”

She nodded again

The dragonfly was a rough troop carrier. Not as sleek as their fighter jets and not as compact as their helos, but they were fast and nimble and carried enough fire power to down several HK’s if the need arose. Dani was used to sitting in a dragonfly as it’s pretty much all she was allowed to travel in outside of the base. The Resistance valued her too much to risk a less equipped form of transport, so she settled back, pulled her straps tighter, and asked the Captain to wake her when they were near.

As she closed her eyes, she thought about present day Grace. It was 2033, Grace would be around 25 now, and approximately 8 years would have passed since she had seen her in the carpark. But Dani felt nervous none the less. Would this Grace remember her? Would she be similar in any way to _her_ Grace? She grasped at the amber around her neck and warmed it with her fingers as she fell asleep. 

***

Hadrell woke her gently, within a half hour the dragonfly was landing, and Dani’s heart started to beat faster.

It suddenly dawned on her that at 34, she was about the age that Grace had been when she’d come back to the past to protect her. Dani shook her head. Time travel was something that seemed a simple concept, but as soon as the heart or physics got involved she couldn’t seem to manage it.

She thought if herself now and compared her to the Grace of 2020.

Dani was nowhere near the soldier Grace was. Had a fraction of her physical ability and blind courage. She’d never really come face to face with a Rev by herself, let alone a Rev-9.

Dani suddenly felt the most undeserving of the title of Commander, since taking it on years ago. Her hands literally shook as she exited the dragonfly.

She might have been the Commander of the Resistance. But in this moment, she felt like she was on her way to meet the saviour of the Resistance, although not if she had anything to say about it.

Captain Thorson met them at the landing zone and quickly escorted the team to a quiet briefing room

“Commander” he said eagerly. “We were quite surprised to see you on the manifest”

“It was a last-minute decision Captain” she explained.

He nodded. “Well, this was supposed to be a resupply run, but we would be happy to accommodate you and your team for as long as you’d like to say”

“We’ll just be here a day or two Captain. I just wanted to get a feel for the Settlement, it’s been years since I’ve been here” she leant in “I trust you can keep my presence here confidential?”

He looked slightly uncomfortable but answered. “To be honest ma’am, The presence of Captain Hadrell and his team will have already raised interest” she took another breath “and we’ve tightened security protocols across the settlement, so unfortunately, as much as I can honestly say that only essential personally know you’re here now, I can also honestly say that by this afternoon, most of the community will know you’re here”

Dani smiled knowingly and thanked the commander for his frankness.

“If you don’t mind, I wanted to take a look at your medical training facilities, followed by the education wing, the weapons cache, and the farmlands. In that order” she said in a tone that brokered no argument.

“Certainly, Commander, follow me” He spun in his heels. Back straight and head high, proud to be escorting the Commander of the Resistance through his territory.

Hadrell had discreetly positioned his team around the party so as to be able to form an immediate shield should anything unforeseen happen.

“Hadrell, we’re in Seattle for goodness sake. Enjoy it” she said in an almost whisper. He’d taken prime position at her side.

“Oh, I intend to Commander” he said with a smirk. Dani rolled her eyes at his not so subtle reference to his intended night-time activities.

They entered the med bay and the doctor on duty met them in a fluster. He shook Dani’s hand and asked how he could be of service.

Dani asked to see the list of applicants for the medic programme.

She pretended to look through the list as the doctor took them through the facility. Showing them the operating theatres and the trauma units and even the one Augment chamber they had on site. She feigned interest in the tour and found Grace’s application amongst the paperwork she had been given.

Her scores were excellent. And she couldn’t find a legitimate reason for her not to participate in medic training. She sighed heavily, trying to come up with another strategy.

The doctor took them to the exam rooms where several soldiers were receiving basic care. He pulled open a drape and Dani almost dropped her charts. Grace was laying on the bed in front of them.

This Grace was almost the spitting image of the Grace that had come to save her over a decade ago. Slightly younger, longer hair, and without the stark white geometric scars lining her skin or the advanced musculature that came with being an Augment.

As Dani looked at the young prone woman, a memory flashed in-front of her eyes, a memory of a very sick, very feverish Grace, laying with her head on her lap as Sarah drove them out of town. Grace was burning up, she was crashing, and Dani didn’t know what to do to help her. So, she cradled her head and prayed that her tall protector would open her eyes.

“Grace!” she said in alarm as she approached the prone woman who immediately awoke with a start and jumped off the exam bed. Her bright blue eyes registering first, confusion, then surprise then embarrassment.

Grace rubbed her reddening face and ran her hands through her wavy shoulder length blonde locks and Dani, caught speechless, fought with everything in her not to embrace her, to feel her very alive, warm body against hers just once more.

“Uhhh” she squinted “Shit!” she shook her head “Sorry ma’am” she said mortified as colour started to rise in her cheeks.

Dani smiled inwardly. This Grace was definitely much younger, much less experienced, and much less a soldier than the Grace she knew **_‘_** _But still ….”_ Dani couldn’t help being astounded by their similarities.

“Apologies Commander” the flustered doctor explained “Miss Harper is my niece which she thinks gives her special privileges ” he smiled indulgently at the tall blonde woman “She comes here sometimes to get away from her students during lunch time” Grace looked even more embarrassed as her uncle explained.

“The staff room is too crowded” she offered meekly. The alarm on her watch sounded and she quickly grabbed her stack of papers and offered her apologies again as she dashed out of the room.

Dani almost laughed at Grace’s demeanour. The Grace she had known would never have been caught so flustered, nor would she ever had apologised for anything.

Commander Thorson spoke up quickly “Commander, if you want to make it to the rest of the settlements, we’d need to get a move on”

“Of course, Captain” Dani spoke, trying to keep her eyes off Grace’s retreating back.

Dani shook the doctors’ hand and thanked him for the tour, and the team moved onto the education wing.

Within 15 minutes, Dani and her protective duty, along with the school principle walked in on the middle school Science class, and again Dani was caught flat footed.

Grace stood at the head of the class, tall and beautiful, relaxed and happy. Dani had never seen Grace relaxed before, and the change was powerful. Her Grace could be quick to smile, even sardonic, but she seemed to have lacked the capacity to be light, optimistic, and happy. Not surprising considering the time she had come from.

This Grace however radiated so many things her Grace had not. Granted, Dani had only known her Grace for three days, and she was sure there was much more to the woman than what she had taken in. But this Grace, just seemed lighter, without the weight of being a soldier on her back, she radiated positivity, she clearly loved her work, and the children clearly adored her.

Another thing that stood out for Dani was the lack of scars on her body. Not the Augment scars, but the scars her Grace wore on her body from battle. The deep scar along her jaw, the mottled skin around the back of her right shoulder, the crescent shaped scar high up on her left shoulder, the faint scars on her chest and neck, shrapnel injuries, the rough patches of healed skin on her forearms from her encounter with the Rev-9. This Grace had none of them. The tall blonde teacher wore a black sleeveless top with thin straps, and Dani could see all of her exposed skin was smooth, uninterrupted, and whole.

Dani was brought back from her musings when Grace laughed loudly at something one of her students had said and Dani’s heart lurched. She suddenly realised that she’d never heard Grace laugh before. It was an entirely new sound to her, and it immediately made her smile. She knew that she wanted to know this Grace, even if just for today.

Dani took another step into the room with her team and watched silently, a smile continued to play her lips as she watched Grace interact with her class. The Commander had intended on a quick walking tour of the teaching facility, but instead she stood quietly at the back of the room with her escorts and observed.

“Miss Harper!” the young child at the front of the class put up his hand and groaned. “I still don’t understand the difference between organic and inorganic substance, organic means living right? Inorganic means dead?” he sighed, looking dejected.

Grace, noted the military presence in her classroom paused and smiled, making eye contact with Dani. Dani found herself smiling back.

Grace then walked towards the military crew and pulled a very surprised and very hesitant Captain Hadrell to the centre of the room.

“Okay students” she said conspiratorially as Hadrell shifted uncomfortably. “you all know what an Augment is right?” The student all leant forward and made variations of awed appreciation.

“So, the Captain here is made up of BOTH organic and inorganic material. While you and I are almost entirely made up of organic material”

Dani’s stomach dropped suddenly.

“You and I are made up of blood, and bones, and muscles, and tissues, and cells which help us grow and be strong and develop, as such we are organic organisms” she touched Hadrell’s arm, “the Captain here also has all of those bones, and blood and cells and tissues which are all organic. They are all made up of carbon, and oxygen, and hydrogen, and nitrogen. Everything we need to survive as humans. But inside his body, he has parts made up of metals and minerals which aren’t part of an organic organism. Every metal element inside his body is inorganic, his power source is inorganic, he has a silicone microprocessor in his brain. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t human” She paused knowing she had the full attention of the class. “Humans are essentially organic because we are made up of four basic elements, Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen. But add a metal like titanium, or a mineral like silica, and suddenly the body has inorganic substances in it, but does that make us less human?”

She picked up a ruler from her desk

“My skin is organic because it’s made up of cells containing carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. This ruler is inorganic because it’s made of aluminium” She pointed to the window of the room. “That window is made mostly of silica and is therefore inorganic” she gestured between the three. “I am a living organism, but the ruler isn’t, the window isn’t” she smiled “But this is where it becomes interesting” she leant in conspiratorially. “Captain Hadrell here is three, no four times as strong as I am because of his inorganic parts. He’s still human, but extra-human” she grinned. “So organic in a broad sense means something that can be living, but the inorganic can enhance that. Inorganic by itself doesn’t support life” she held up the ruler. “But combine organic with inorganic and you can have all types of interesting” she pointed to Hadrell “the right mix of inorganic with inorganic materials can make an exceptional human being”

Grace smiled as her class unanimously put up their hands and started talking.

Hadrell looked back at his Commander intending on seeking help extricating himself from his current position, but when he tried to catch her eyes he saw the way she was looking at the young teacher and decided to wait out the situation, a small, knowing, smile forming on his face.

_****_

The Commanders tour had taken in the military cache of the settlement and she was satisfied that their supply was sufficient to either launch an effective defence should there be a Legion incursion, or to supply the Resistance Army with back-up should it be needed. They had two dragonfly units, four fighter jets, a helo and enough firepower to blow the world to hell. She indicated her approval and asked to move onto the agricultural zone.

Approximately two hours south of the Seattle settlement were the farming grounds slightly west of Longmire.

The Resistance believed that by keeping the agricultural activities quite separate from the settlement, Legion would be less likely to uncover them. Keeping the industry and community activities as underground or sheltered as possible, while leaving the agricultural property out in the open was a smart idea as it turned out. Legion didn’t appear to recognise the farming area for what it was, and all the machinery used to farm the land was, as Sarah and Dani had insured, not reliant on GPS or the any type of CPU, and Legion had no reason to know or understand the farming activities of humans. They simply seemed to track heat signatures, energy impulses, vibrations and echolocation in order to identify possible military or human targets. 

The Commanders presence in the area however, warranted the use of several heavily armed Humvees and an observational drone. She didn’t like the additional mechanical presence on the ground, but knew that because of who she was, neither Captains Hadrell nor Thorson would allow any less.

Because of the extra precautions, Dani insisted that there be no civilian presence on the land when they arrived. She was happy to take risks when it was her and her team, but she wouldn’t put civilians at risk if she could help it. Especially as this was simply an observational tour.

She smiled as they rose over the ridge and took in the vast acres of green land as far as the eye could see. _‘This! This is what we are fighting to keep’_ she thought to herself. She remembered the idealistic 22-year-old she’d been in Mexico, believing that governments and corporations were corruptly utilizing cheap, more efficient machinery to replace human labour. She’d seen it in her own workplace a dozen times over.

But this. This is what it all came back down to. Human self-sufficiency. Planting, growing, harvesting, and providing. No suicide genes or GMO’s which made it impossible for farmers to keep propagating their existing crops. No mega harvesters that could pull enough food from the earth in a day than could possibly be consumed.

She smiled at the rightness of it all now. Nobody in the settlements went hungry. They produced enough food for themselves, enough to store in case of a natural disaster or plague, and enough to give over to the non-Resistance communities that existed around them in trade for whatever they might have to offer in textiles, metals, or other goods.

But they never traded in weapons. That was another of the Commanders non-negotiable rules. Food and necessities could become commodities, but never weaponry.

At that thought, Dani caught a glint off metal in the sky far to the east of their position.

“Possible HK inbound, approximately 3 clicks to the east” she radioed to all present.

The Humvees quickly drove into purpose-built lead-lined cement bunkers scattered throughout the farmlands and switched off all comms.

Dani climbed out of her vehicle and Hadrell quickly joined her.

They watched as the automated Legion aircraft hovered above their previous location. Obviously using various infra-red, sonar, and a myriad of other technology to see if it could identify what had originally attracted it to this location.

Dani had hoped they’d be able to simply hide and wait it out, but to her dismay, the HK launched four Rev-7’s from its centre. The 7’s were much more efficient and effective hunters and Dani knew they would have to fight their way out. But not here. They had to protect the farmlands. So, she signalled the team to get ready to hightail it out of there which they did.

She signalled to the Captains to ready the rail guns, and she quickly checked her rifle for explosive plasma rounds.

The caravan of military vehicles quickly covered a distance which Dani thought safe to engage. Far enough away from the farmlands that Legion probably wouldn’t attach any significance to it. They kept the HK and the 7’s in pursuit with the rail cannons but were careful not to take any Legion weaponry down close to the farmlands.

She halted the vehicles and jumped out of hers. Hadrell and his team took point and charged ahead.

Dani grabbed a rocket launcher from the back of the Humvee and quickly followed.

As Hadrell kept the 7’s at bay, Dani quickly took aim at the HK and fired, but not before it sent several rounds in her direction.

She felt a sharp sting in her leg and her side, but adrenaline kept her planted as she watched the HK go down. Hadrell’s team had done the same with the 7’s and he quickly scooped Dani up and got her into the Humvee. He gave directions for his team to destroy the Legion remains with plasma charges so that there was no evidence Legion could use to find out what had transpired.

He instructed the driver to stay off the main roads and take the lesser used tunnels into the Seattle settlement. He didn’t want Legion having any way to follow their path, and if all vehicles took an alternate way back, they would have less opportunity to do so.

Hadrell quickly turned to his Commander and ripped off her tactical vest. She grit her teeth but let him do his work.

“Noting critical Commander” he said with a wink. His Retinal Display able to bring up her vitals at a simple command. “A few bruised ribs, and a through and through in your leg”

He placed a firm dressing over her ribs and disinfected then cauterised the entry and exit wounds on her thigh, placing a non-adhesive dressing over them.

He injected a pain killer and took a breath. His hands were shaking, and Dani grabbed them gently.

“Captain” she said quietly.

“What the bloody hell were you thinking out there Commander!” his British accent accentuated when he was angry.

“I was thinking that I’m the fucking Commander. Captain” she said with equal anger.

He nodded and blew out a breath “For a second, I thought they had got you. I apologise for losing my temper Commander” he said contritely.

“Captain. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the field, it’s that fear quickly turns to anger in the heat of things” she looked him in the eye “It’s okay to lose your temper every now and then. It just means you care” She smiled.

He smiled back and nodded before helping her put her vest back on again. She hissed as it tightened around her ribs, but she soon settled into the discomfort.

Their vehicle was the first to make it back to the settlement, and the Commander was immediately taken to medical despite her protestations that she was okay.

In the Resistance, there was only one rank that could overruled the Commander, and that was the chief medical officer. So, Dani had little choice but to comply.

Hadrell’s assessment was confirmed. Three bruised ribs and a clean and thankfully cauterised through and through wound to her thigh. They were re-dressed and Dani was given a couple pain killers and sent on her way back to her assigned quarters.

The rest of the team trickled back to the settlement over the course of the evening, and thankfully there was no indication that Legion had even detected the battle zone, let alone locked onto any of their retreating vehicles.

Dani went to her assigned quarters and lay on the firm bed.

She quickly picked up her radio and left a message with the Chief Medical Officer for Grace Harper to meet her at nineteen hundred to discuss her medic application. After today’s event’s she had made the decision to deny her application, at least delaying her progress to the front-line. She’d just have to come up with a reasonable excuse over the next several hours.

What had begun as a trip to feed her curiosity over Grace, had almost led to a full-blown disaster for the settlement. It was a sobering reminder that her personal interests always needed to take a back seat to the Resistance and the only way that was going to happen was if her personal interest was safely tucked away and out of harms' way.

Despite her best efforts to remain awake, she started to drift off as the pain killers took effect, and despite her recent self-chastising, her last thought was of the image of Grace in her classroom, full of eager excitement. _‘She’s beautiful, I’d like to hear her laugh again’_ Her groggy mind added before she drifted off.

*****

Dani woke to a light knock on her door and stiffly sat up as Evelyn entered. Dani leaned back and smiled widely.

“Bon soir” Evelyn winked and walked in “Just wanted to check you were okay Dani” she spoke quietly.

Dani smiled. Not many people called her by her first name, but Evelyn was essentially a civilian, and one of Dani’s closest friends. To be honest, she liked not having to be “The Commander” around Evelyn.

“What a day hey” Dani sighed and took herself to the nearby desk. The HK attack was far too close to the Settlement than she was comfortable with, yet at the same time, she was glad that Captain Hadrell and his team were at the Settlement and able to be utilized quickly. Hopefully diverting Legion’s attention away from Seattle.

“Yeah, about that” Evelyn nodded and sat down across from Dani. “I’d like to try and do some research on that HK tomorrow. See if we can figure out why it was so close, what might have attracted it so we can camouflage better next time” She looked excited, caught up in her musings, he long golden curls falling over her face as they did whenever she pulled her glasses down, her French accent becoming more pronounced as she picked up pace. 

Despite the hard day, or perhaps because of it, Dani felt the stirrings of arousal watching the smart, beautiful doctor talk about her work. Dani smiled, and quickly leant forward, pulling her into a deep kiss.

Evelyn, momentarily surprised, soon relaxed and returned it enthusiastically.

“I wasn’t sure, you know” The beautiful blonde doctor looked a bit unsure indicating Dani’s bandaged ribs.

“Evelyn” Dani ran her hands through the scientists long curly blonde hair. “you only need ever ask” she said sweetly. “And know that the answer will almost always be yes” she grinned.

Evelyn pulled Dani close and moved them to the bed. She took off her own clothes quickly and helped Dani do the same, making sure to keep away from her bruised ribs, and in no time, they were entwined, naked in bed.

Dani flipped Evelyn underneath her and lay herself on top of the gorgeous woman.

Over the years Dani and Evelyn had often shared nights together, but their agreement was that it would remain unencumbered and casual. And so far it had worked wonderfully.

Tonight, Dani was especially grateful for Evelyn’s presence. She felt like she’d pent up so much from the time she set foot onto the base that she needed a way to release some of that stress.

Evelyn sat herself up, and Dani, facing her, wrapped her legs around the blonde woman. Evelyn sensed Dani’s urgency and immediately reached between them and found her wet centre.

“Dani” she sighed and closed her eyes as she revelled in the velvety softness of the smaller woman in her lap.

Dani rest her head on Evelyn’s shoulder and she too reached down between them, finding Evelyn equally as wet and ready.

Together they locked lips and breathed harshly as they stroked against each other.

Evelyn dug her nails into Dani’s back with her free hand and drew her closer as her orgasm approached, and Dani’s head fell back, her hair cascading down her back as she rode Evelyn’s fingers.

“Ugghh Dani” Evelyn’s breathed out as her orgasm took her first, she arched into Dani with a long moan.

Spurred on by the sound of her lover. Dani rocked her hips harder against Evelyn’s fingers.

“Yes!” she breathed.

“Dani” Evelyn breathed.

“Yes!” she hissed and arched hard into her friend as her body began to tremble.

She caught Evelyn’s mouth while her orgasm was still washing over her and kissed her deeply. Both women gently moving against the other as each aftershock shook them.

The sound of the door opening behind them made Dani quickly move toward her weapon under her pillow, pushing the blonde doctor protectively back against the mattress.

“Oh Shit! I’m sorry!” Grace quickly looked away and backed out of the room. “Fuck! I’m sorry Commander!” She slammed the door and they heard hurried footsteps head away from them.

Mortified, and heart racing, Dani fell on top of Evelyn and tried to catch her breath.

“Who the fuck was that?” Evelyn asked confused.

“Grace Harper” Dani said in realisation looking at her watch. “Fuck!” She scolded herself. “I told her to drop by later this evening to go through her medic training request, and I completely lost track of time”. She rolled over and lay next to Evelyn and threw a hand over her forehead catching her breath.

“Well’ Evelyn said, leaning over kissing Dani’s collar bone “Since you fly out tomorrow you should probably shower and change and go find her” She smiled.

Dani smirked at her sleepy lover and kissed her forehead.

“Thank you for tonight Eve, I needed the company, and I’m glad it was yours”

She pushed herself of the bed and on shaky legs made it to the shower.

 _‘fuck!’_ she scolded herself again as she let the hot water wash over her. She had completely forgotten that Grace was supposed to meet her tonight, the day had got away from her, the HK kill had left the Settlement unsettled and disoriented, and Dani had simply let the detail slide. Plus she’d been shot and was on heavy painkillers, she shook her head to try and clear it. 

She quickly dried off and changed into her civilians of jeans and a t-shirt.

Evelyn grabbed her on the way out of the room and kissed her deeply, appreciating how the jeans made Dani’s ass look.

Miss Harper is going to have her work cut out for her Evelyn smirked.

Dani leaned into her lover, but stood back quickly, sighed and turned towards the barracks which is where she thought Grace might be.

“Stay here tonight if you’d like” She kissed Evelyn again and left the room.

Evelyn fell back to the mattress; it would be nice to have Dani come back to her later in the night. Even though their relationship was uncomplicated and unencumbered, Evelyn cared for Dani, and it was always lovely to spend unexpected time together.

***

Grace on her part was trying her best not to replay what she’d just seen but it was near impossible.

She had knocked on the Commander's door and had thought she’d heard an answer from inside, but as soon as she opened the door, she almost swallowed her tongue.

The lithe blonde woman beneath the Commander was beautiful, there was no disputing that. But the Commander, with her long black hair over her shoulders, her head thrown back, her face bright with arousal. Suffice to say that Grace was less than comfortable in her pants at the moment. She knew that image would fuel many a fantasy for her in the days to come. The Commander was breathtaking. Literally. And the strength of the stirring in Grace’s stomach was a bit unsettling. She’d always had a ‘thing’ for the Commander, ever since she was a teenager, but this! She shook her head again trying to clear it.

She dumped her application on her desk and tried to focus on her syllabus for the next weeks classes, but after a few minutes, she gave up. She was just about to put her hand down her pants to relieve the pressure building in her centre herself when a light knock at her door interrupted her.

She quickly got up and opened the door and the Commander of the entire Resistance Army stood before her, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, with no guard to be seen.

Before Dani could say anything, Grace blurted out “I am so sorry Commander. I knocked, and I thought you answered” she looked mortified and Dani felt sorry for the younger woman.

“Grace, it’s totally okay. We’re both adults right” she said with a smile.

Dani nodded, still looking at her shoes because every time she looked at Dani’s face, she saw Dani in rapture in the arms of the blonde scientist.

“Grace” Dani said quietly, placing her hand against Grace’s hot cheek and Grace finally made eye contact. “Really. It’s okay. Besides. It’s my fault. I complete forgot we’d arranged to meet tonight, and I didn’t lock the door” she rolled her eyes and smiled to make light of the situation.

Grace smiled quickly and nodded, opening her door further, ushering her in and asked her to take a seat at the small desk at the side of the room.

Dani sat down and took in the surroundings. The room was small but functional, and Grace had lots of photos up on the kids she’d taught over the years, and a creased and well-worn photo of the Harper family before Judgement Day. Dani gulped. She remembered watching the family very briefly a few years before Judgement Day.

Within a few minutes Grace gently placed two mugs of hot tea on front of them and took her own seat.

“look Grace, I’m so sorry. I completely forgot …”

Grace shook her head “There’s absolutely not need to explain Commander. The whole settlement heard what happened today. We’re all just relieved you’re okay”

Again, a silence fell between them. 

“Do you remember me?” Grace asked quietly with a hint of uncertainty, trying not to make eye contact.

“2025, a carpark not far from here” Dani answered easily. “You were about to be attacked for the food in your backpack, and I managed to convince them their energy would be better spent otherwise” Dani smirked and was delighted when her remark elicited a broad smile from the taller woman, a smile which lit up her eyes. Dani tried to focus on the hot mug in her hand instead of how beautiful Grace was, especially when she smiled like that.

Grace was both surprised and happy that the Commander did in fact remember her. “I was 17 then Commander and I’ve devoted every year since to the Resistance, I honestly think I’m ready for a change, and I want to join the Corps” she said eagerly.

“Dani picked up Grace’s folder and nodded “you scores are excellent Grace” she placed the mug of hot tea down, not quite knowing how to proceed “But scores aren’t everything” She paused again ”I just think you need another year or two under you belt before joining the Corps”

“But why” Grace asked earnestly.

Dani sighed again uncomfortable with the subversion “You’re young Grace, 25, right?” Grace nodded. “I know that the Corps isn’t a place you want to be without some experience with Legion under your belt. Even as a Private, you’ll see things and do things that somebody your age just shouldn’t have to. I know the, before the war, you could have joined the military as a teenager, but war with Legion is a completely different beast to war between humans”

Grace looked up slightly offended, “you were my age when you started to lead the Resistance” she countered, defiance clear in her eyes.

“A task I never asked for, but one I’d trained for years for before it happened, and I didn’t do it alone” Dani answered back evenly

Grace breathed out and lent back in her seat “I lived through more in the first few years after Judgement Day than most 17 year old's” she replied, a touch of sad defiance in her voice. 

“I realise that Grace” Dani had the urge to hold her hand but resisted it. “But your military inexperience, your idealism and your enthusiasm means a tendency more toward emotion, pride, and courage than it does toward pragmatism and an even head”

Grace went to speak but Dani placed a quietening hand over hers before she even realised she’d done it.

“I’ve been told that you have a tendency to get too involved, too attached. You wear your heart on your sleeve. You can’t afford that on the field. You need to be able to be impartial, sometimes ruthless, in order to triage accordingly. And even medics sometimes find themselves in the midst of battles. You need to be able to keep a calm head during battle, to help whoever needs you most regardless of who they are”

“But I can learn that. That’s what training is for”

Dani took a breath. She hated doing this. Of course, everything Grace was saying was true. But Dani just needed to buy some time, even if it meant dashing Grace’s ambitions for a short while. She looked at Grace seriously.

“Okay. Two casualties. He has a PB of 60/40, 40% oxygen sats, a perforated liver, and a is unresponsive. She 90/70, 50% Oxygen sats, a broken femur, and is conscious. Who do you go to first? Who gets onto the evac helo first? 

“He does” She answered immediately.

“Same scenario, first casualty is a young private, second casualty is me” She said looking Grace dead in the eyes.

“You of course” Grace answered immediately, bowing her head, knowing she’d just talked her own way out of the program.

“And that’s why you aren’t ready yet Grace. You have to triage regardless of rank or position”

“But! You’re the Commander!” Her bright blue eyes darkened.

“And that makes my life worth more than the privates?” Dani asked evenly.

“Fuck yes it does” She answered vehemently.

Dani nodded slowly. She knew basically every medic she’d every encountered with would answer the same as Grace, but in theory, they did need to be able to be impartial. And this was the only thing Dani could legitimately exclude Grace on.

“I’m sorry Grace. Maybe you can try again in a year or two, but perhaps, with your science knowledge maybe research or engineering is what you should be looking at if you want a career change?” Dani folded the paperwork, and stood to leave “I can organise a meeting for you with Evelyn ... Dr Beraud of you’d be interested in the engineering corps?”

Grace’s shook her head quickly and stood “Commander” she held her hand out. 

Dani shook it and left quietly, ashamed of what she’d just done but at the same time relieved that Grace would not be joining the Medic corps this year.

She made her way back to her room, stripped her clothes off and immediately climbed into bed with Evelyn who was half asleep waiting for her.

“How’d it go?” Evelyn asked

“Ask me tomorrow” Dani sighed and wrapped herself around the warm sleepy woman,

Evelyn reciprocated and was asleep again in no time, leaving Dani to replay their conversation over several times in her head before she finally drifted off.

***

Grace paced her room. First hurt, then angry, then defiant.

 _‘Fine!_ ’ If the Commander doesn’t think I’m ready yet, I’ll bide my time. I’ll show her. I can be hard, pragmatic, make difficult choices!' 

Grace was nothing if not determined. She knew that she would make an excellent medic despite what the Commander said, and, if asked again, she would not take back her answer. The Commander was far more important to the Resistance than any single person alive.

Even if the Commander had a superficial blade injury, Grace would still focus on securing her safety over anyone else, and she was sure every soldier on the base would do the same. Everyone thought that highly of her, knew the importance of protecting her.

It was an unfair triage question, and she didn’t agree with the Commanders decision, but she had time, and she would prove her wrong,

She ran her hands angrily through her hair. She also couldn’t get the image of the beautiful naked Commander out of her head. She headed for the showers where she tried to wash away the tension of the evening, and she brought her hand between her legs and leant her forehead against the tiled wall. Rubbing her fingers against her aroused clit quickly, letting her orgasm flow through her within a manner of minutes, but as soon as she finished, she knew it wasn’t going to be enough.

She dried off and headed to the rec room, confident that she’d be able to find somebody to take to bed and erase the erotic images floating through her head.

She did find a woman to take to bed that evening and as lovely as their night together was, it did nothing to erase the images of Dani in her head.

***


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did say this was a slow burn .... more character building and medical background into the Augmentation process in this chapter. The wait will be worth it.

** 2034 **

Twelve months to the day, Grace reapplied for the Medic corps, and Dani honestly couldn’t find a legitimate reason to stop her this time, not that the previous reason was technically legitimate. But still, she had no choice but to approve Grace’s application.

Grace would initially become a Private in the Resistance, spending a year undergoing basic weapons and physical training, and then she would join the Medic Corps where she would undergo a two-year intensive training program before becoming a Specialist in the Army. All things going according to plan, the year would be 2037 when she graduated, and Grace would be around 28 before she came close to any real field action.

Still. That would leave 5 short years during which Dani would need to try and keep Grace off the path of becoming an Augment, which meant keeping her off the front line. Five years! How would she even do it?

“Fuck!” She swore loudly and threw the paperwork across the room, absently thumbing her necklace.

****

** 2037  **

Unbeknownst to Dani, Grace had applied to finish the last year of her medic training at the Arizona Base. She had heard that the Base’s chief of medicine, Dr Susan Yeo, was bad-ass and she wanted to soak up as much as she could before she was out there on her own. And if truth be told. She wanted to be closer to the Commander.

It had been almost four years since her last visit to the Seattle settlement, and not a day passed when Grace didn’t think of her.

The medical unit and the military unit were quite separate, and the Base itself was huge in comparison to the Seattle settlement. But every so often Grace would catch a glimpse of the Commander on her way to or from somewhere, delivering important briefings, or accompanying the beautiful Dr Beraud around the research facilities.

Grace felt a stab of envy every time she saw the head of the engineering department. But in every interaction she’d had with the gorgeous doctor, she’d been impressed. Impressed to see a woman leading the R&D division of the Resistance, impressed by her enthusiasm and knowledge, and her desire to share that knowledge with anyone who would ask, even if that was a second year medic in training.

Grace had approached Dr Beraud and asked her about the Augment program. Firstly, the doctor insisted that Grace call her Evelyn or Eve.

“What’s your interest in the program Private?” she asked in a friendly tone, her light French accent colouring her words in a way Grace found entirely charming.

“I’m in my last year of training as a medic and we haven’t really been taken through many field scenarios involving Augments” she answered honestly.

Evelyn nodded. “Okay, let me see what I can set up. I’ll get back to you tomorrow oui?”

Grace nodded and smiled broadly and Evelyn couldn’t help returning it.

The next day Grace and the other three medics in her class entered a training arena. It was explained to them that it was usually reserved for combat training, but if they wanted Augment experience, this was the place they would need to get it today. The Augment Chamber headed by the Base’s Chief of Medicine, Dr Yeo, was off limits today as they had just begun an augmentation procedure on a soldier.

Captain Hadrell entered the arena along with two other Augments. Grace and the other trainees stared in awe at the trio of battle-hardened soldiers, she’d met Captain Hadrell before, but this was different.

Dr Yeo and Evelyn soon followed behind.

“Okay, so today, we’re going to take you through a few live training exercises, and the Captain here has volunteered himself and two of his team to be your guinea-pigs”

Grace gulped. She wasn’t expecting live scenarios.

Grace saw the large Captain wink at Evelyn and saw colour rise in the doctors’ cheeks. Grace quirked a brow and filed it away _‘maybe the Commander and Evelyn aren’t together anymore?’_

“I’ve been informed that the Medic training program has a lack of resources when it comes to Augment field trauma” Evelyn spoke clearly, being careful not to identify Grace as the source of that information as she spoke. “Perhaps that’s because as Augments they are themselves trained in field trauma, but still, it’s important as medics that you understand how an Augment injury can differ from that of a human injury” Evelyn paused as the arena door opened and Dani walked in.

All the soldiers quickly stood to attention.

“At ease” she said easily. Noticing immediately the tall blonde Private in the room _‘fuck!’_ she hadn’t known Grace was on the base, but she’d heard of the additional Augment training package to the medic training and she wanted to be present for it. Grace looked happy and healthy. She still wore her hair past her shoulders which surprised Dani for some reason. She was in casual fatigues and a tank and Dani took a moment to again appreciate the young woman’s physical stature, her natural physicality. And she again took in the lack of scars, Augment or otherwise on her exposed skin. Her musings were interrupted when the doctor commenced the training.

Dr Yeo stepped forward. “Okay so first thing you need to know is that every Augment has a much higher pain threshold than most, but it’s a false threshold imposed by a dampening mechanism in their microprocessors. So, if they say it doesn’t hurt, don’t believe them”

The three Augments ducked their heads and smiled.

“Secondly” she pulled out a scalpel from her pocket “you need to be aware of their alloy mesh dermal layer” it’s designed to withstand or reduce most projectile injuries and as such, if a wound is superficial, they will generally heal themselves within a half to 24 hours. However, should you need to penetrate it to get access to deeper vessels or structures, you’re going to need to put your back into it”

Dr Yeo looked at the group of Augments, quirking an eyebrow for a volunteer, and Hadrell stepped forward and exposed his forearm.

Dr Yeo signalled the young medics forward and handed the first medic the scalpel. He took it and with a shaking hand sliced through the skin as he would any patient.

Hadrell clenched his jaw but didn’t react otherwise.

“Okay, see what we have here” Dr Yeo used a pair of forceps to pull the two sides of the incision apart, exposing the mesh underlayer.

Grace was fascinated. The silver coloured mesh beneath the skin contained the bleeding of the epidermal injury and prevented the penetration of the blade to any vital blood vessels.

Dr Yeo handed Grace the scalpel “Now, put more pressure behind the blade, and it will let you cut through it”

Grace swallowed hard and looked at the Captain who winked back at her and offered up his other arm.

Grace started the incision with enough pressure to feel the mesh sub-dermal layer, she then applied more pressure until she felt the scalpel slide through it.

“Bollocks” Hadrell swore as his arm began to bleed profusely.

Dr Yeo took the scalpel back from Grace whose hand had begun to shake. “Good! See. It’s not impenetrable. If you need to access a deeper vein, an organ or a bone in the field for any reason, you need to understand that to get through that barrier takes a lot more pressure than just a normal dermal layer”

The medics watched in fascination as Dr Yeo applied a quick bandage over the wound and then held up Hadrell’s first arm, the one which had the smaller wound on it.

“A flesh wound will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours to heal depending on its size.”

She then removed the dressing she’d just applied to his deeper wound.

“A larger, penetrating wound will take days to mesh over, which is why we have the Augment Chamber, but a clean, incised wound like this” She pointed to his arm again “will begin to mesh almost immediately if you let it, so if you need prolonged access, use clamps. The mesh will take up to a day to mend, and then the dermal layer likely another 24 hours” she rotated his arm and the mesh dermal layer had already visibly begun to knit back together. “They heal quickly, so you need to act quickly if you need access”

The medics all nodded their understanding and hurriedly took notes.

“Okay, IV’s” Dr Yeo proceeded.

Dani and Evelyn watched in just as much fascination as the medics. Of course, they knew the science and had seen field injuries, but watching Dr Yeo explain it all was not only educational but refreshing. Dani made a mental note to revise the syllabus for the medic training. Eve had advised her that apparently the Seattle training programme lacked an Augment package, she checked, and it barely had more than a day’s worth of material covering Augment care. She spoke to Dr Yeo who aside from a few expletives, agreed to put together something a bit more comprehensive and hands on. Dani watched Grace as she soaked up as much information as she could.

Evelyn watched Dani watch the tall blonde medic and she nudged her shoulder and leant in “Is that the teacher from a few years back? The one who walked in on us …”

Dani cleared her throat and scowled up at her friend who grinned broadly back at her. Her smile turned into laughter as a blush crept up Dani’s dark skin.

Grace heard the laugh and looked up at the Commander and her friend. Noting their obvious closeness before concentrating again on what the doctor was teaching them. _‘maybe they are still together’_ she mused.

That day they learnt Augment field dressings, IV cannulation, intraosseous cannulation, and pain relief administration. Learning that the paradox of having higher pain thresholds often meant that Augments ended up doing more damage to their bodies, therefore requiring approximately 40% more fluid therapy, and at least 20% more pain relief than a regular soldier on average.

Grace’s head was spinning by the end of the session. She made sure to thank Hadrell and each of the Augment volunteers before they left, she quickly went over to Evelyn and thanked her for organising the additional training, she nodded to the Commander and trotted off to catch up to Dr Yeo.

“Dani” Evelyn grinned as she watched her friend watch the very sexy form of the retreating medic.

“Evelyn” Dani sighed

“You should go talk to her” she nudged her again.

Dani shook her head and walked out of the training facility, leaving a very bemused Evelyn behind.

***

That evening Dani entered the mess and immediately saw the tall slim figure she had hoped not to see. She blew out a breath and waked past the table of trainee medics before heading to the table she kept with Evelyn and a few others.

Grace watched Dani make her way to her table, and as she sat down their eyes locked. Grace couldn’t look away, so it was Dani who eventually smiled slightly before breaking eye contact, proceeding to talk with Hadrell who shared her table.

Grace’s heart pounded in her chest. She knew that what she felt for the Commander was more than just a crush, more than just admiration and loyalty or lust. She’d felt it for years, and she felt it even stronger almost every day since that day on the Seattle Settlement, and again, today it was reaffirmed. Perhaps it wasn’t love. Grace didn’t think she’d ever been in love before. But whatever it was, it made her want to wrap the Commander in her arms and hold her. It wasn’t even completely sexual, although sex with the Commander was definitely on her mind more often than not. It seemed more tender than that, but also more primal. A natural pull to be by her side, to protect her, to care for her, to _love_ her? There was that word again. Grace couldn’t stop watching the Commander so she decided it would be best to excuse herself and go find the gym.

Evelyn watched Dani watch the tall soldier depart and smiled again, but didn’t push the point, she looked across the table and noticed that Hadrell had also been watching Dani watch the tall medic. They both smiled knowingly at each other.

“That one’s not only quick to learn, she’s easy on the eyes hey Commander” her quirked a grin and leant back in his seat, folding his large arms across his chest.

“Shut up” Dani spoke quickly but refused to look at him, and he leant further back and laughed out loud. Evelyn had to cover her laugh with a cough and kept her eyes firmly on her plate of food.

****

On the second day of training, Dr Yeo took the trainees into the trauma unit where they were to strictly observe unless otherwise directed.

She showed them the Augment’s most important piece of equipment. Their med-guns. She explained that Augments ran a much higher metabolic rate than regular humans. And when in battle, their bodies produced massive surges in adrenaline and various other hormones and neurotransmitters which allowed them to react faster, move quicker, lift more, and sustain more than a normal human, but the side effect was a build-up of waste material and cellular debris which their very human organs couldn’t dispose of quickly enough. Their bodies quickly overheated, and if left untreated they would crash, resulting in seizures or even death.

“This” Dr yeo held up the small injection gun “Will save their lives out on the field. If you come across a downed Augment, the first thing you need to do is locate their med-gun and deliver a dose like so” she pointed the gun into the thigh of the soldier on the bed and injected a dose. “you can’t OD them on this, so always go for the med-gun before anything else. A conscious Augment will be able to tell you if they’re crashing or about to crash, but always assume an unconscious Augment has crashed”

She took them to the Augment Chamber and all the medics immediately stood in awe.

“And this where the Augments are not only created, it’s where they come to heal and rejuvenate”

She placed her hand on the glass. Each tank contains a nutrient plasma containing billions of nanites. Which to you and I are essentially harmless, but in the presence of an Augment power-source and under the directions of their microprocessors, those nanites become tiny medics and surgeons. They repair tissue damage, incise necrotic cells, remove organic and inorganic debris. Basically, they are what put the Augments back on their feet days, weeks, and even months before you or I would after a similar injury.”

She moved the group to the observation deck of the operating theatre, Dani and Evelyn were already present.

“I’d like you to watch what a soldier goes through to become an augment” she paused “not the entire procedure granted because just the surgeries alone take days, the recovery weeks, and the retraining months. But it’s important to understand the initial process, to know that every Augment you encounter in the field has gone through this process to become what they are” she turned to look down at the operating table “we started on this soldier yesterday. She was critically injured in battle and volunteered for the program. Yesterday, we operated on her posterior skeletal structures so I wanted you to see the anterior procedure today”

She left the four medics, Evelyn and the Commander in the observation deck as she scrubbed in for the surgery below.

There were dozens of long geometric lines marked out all over the soldiers' flesh in ink. Some tracing natural muscle lines, others seemingly dissecting quadrants of the body. Grace watched in a mix of awe and horror as Dr Yeo expertly used her scalpel to slice into the straight line along the length of the thigh of the unconscious and ventilated soldier who was face up on her table.

“Firstly, once the soldier is stabilised, we use a Legion modified mesh alloy to surround the osseous tissue, fortifying the skeleton and making it substantially stronger than normal bone. To do that we essentially expose the skeleton segment by segment and inject the bio alloy into the periosteum where it will spread and surround the bone, maintaining all nerve and blood supply, and strengthening tendon and ligament adhesions. A single 300cc injection is enough to encase the femur, the largest and heaviest of the bones in the body, so we move through the body accordingly. After each segment we use a plasma laser to seal the incision, which accounts for the white markings you see on the Augment’s bodies. This allows us to access the same segment on multiple occasions without causing unwanted scarring or adhesions, as the plasma laser closes the incision immediately and stops scar tissue forming.

They watched for hours as Dr Yeo made over 200 injections into various bones in the soldiers’ body. Two of the medics in her group had passed out halfway through and were taken to the med bay. That left Grace, Evelyn, Dani, and one other medic.

Dr Yeo took a quick break and suggested they do the same, so Grace stood and stretched her back, not realising how cramped she’d been.

Dani stopped mid step as Grace’s long body unfolded in front of her, she eyed the small expanse of smooth skin at her back and stomach which became exposed as Grace lifted her arms above her head in a stretch. Her mouth went dry.

She cursed under her breath when she noticed Evelyn eyeing her with a knowing look, and quickly exited the room for some fresh air, or at least what passed as fresh air in the lobby of the med unit.

An hour later they were all back in the observation deck, but Dani had placed herself squarely in the front row, against the glass, and, quite innocently, Grace decided to sit herself next to the Commander.

“Commander” she nodded.

“Private” Dani replied quickly.

“It’s freaking amazing isn’t it! What they go through to become Augments! What Dr Yeo can do!?” She said wide eyed leaning forward as Dr Yeo entered the theatre again.

“Amazing” Dani answered quietly. 

“Okay” Dr Yeo addressed the viewing platform. “now comes one of the few ethical procedures of the process”

Grace frowned.

“Know first, that each Augment is a volunteer, they must be conscious and of sound mind before they volunteer, amongst a raft of other criteria. Now because of the mild radiation caused by the micro-reactor power-source, because they are often sustaining critical injuries, and simply because their new anatomy isn’t as pliable as a normal human, we need to ensure that Augments cannot reproduce. Any foetus with an Augmented genetic origin would likely either die in utero, or be born with birth defects from exposure to radiation in the womb, or from genesis by irradiated sperm.

So, we perform perfunctory hysterectomies and vasectomies on all Augment candidates” 

“What” Grace almost gasped. Of course, logically it made sense, but it still made her feel a little nauseous.

Dani was struggling with the information herself. She hadn’t known, or perhaps hadn’t wanted to know all the details of the Augmentation programme, she completely trusted Evelyn when it came to the ethics of Augment creation, so this was new information for her too. She couldn’t argue the reasoning behind the procedure, but it still made her feel a little ill.

“We do this procedure as an open operation as it gives us a good opportunity to access and insert the cradle to the anterior spine, which will hold the power source”.

Dr Yeo made clean vertical and horizontal incisions on the soldier’s abdomen and retracted the skin.

Dani put her head in her hands and breathed deeply, remembering the marks on Grace’s stomach, now knowing what they had been for.

Grace noticed the Commanders reaction and immediately placed her hand on Dani’s back.

“Commander, are you okay? Do you need me to take you out of here?” She said earnestly.

Dani shook her head and leant back in her chair. “No gracias” she smiled at Grace. “I just wasn’t ready for that” she smiled again and turned her head back to the table.

Grace nodded and took her hand away but kept an eye on the Commander, nonetheless.

Dr Yeo quickly removed the soldier’s uterus but kept her ovaries intact to reduce the hormonal impact of the hysterectomy. “As you can see, all we need to do to attach the cradle now is to weld it to the alloy surrounding the lumbar vertebrae which we can expose quite easily. The cradle is semi gyroscopic in that it allows the power-source to move within it, it’s not a ridged structure, because the lumbar vertebrae is not a ridged structure. The power-source however, is” She moved the soldier’s organs out of the way and Grace could see the metal alloy of the spine. She blew out a breath.

Dr Yeo deftly attached the cradle with six weld points and reached for the power-source which was carefully placed on a tray by her side.

“This won’t take effect immediately because the microprocessor needs to be inserted, and the nanites need to help the body make new neural connections, but essentially, this is the defining moment in the Augment creation process” she picked up the power source and held It above the cradle.

Dani’s ears were ringing. She kept seeing images of her hand with Grace’s power-source in it. Cutting into her stomach, the slight click as it released from her body. Without knowing she was doing it, she grasped Grace’s forearm and squeezed.

Grace looked at the Commander with concern.

As Dr Yeo fit the cylinder into place with a slight click, Dani promptly passed out and Grace quickly caught her.

“Commander!” she yelled.

She easily scooped her up and quickly took her into the closest med bay, followed quickly by Evelyn. Grace lay her flat on the bed and immediately placed a pulse-oximeter on her finger and took her BP.

Dr Yeo exited the operating theatre and immediately Grace rattled off the Commanders vitals. 

Within 30 seconds Dani came around and bolted upright in the bed. Disoriented and afraid for some reason.

“Commander, you passed out, you’re in the med bay, you’re okay, just lay back down” Grace said calmly, looking her directly in the eyes, making sure she was heard and understood.

Dr Yeo and Evelyn stood back and watched the young medic. Dr Yeo approving immediately of her skill and manner. Evelyn approving immediately of her compatibility with her friend.

Dani was initially mortified, but then she remembered why she’d passed out and a wave of nausea swept over her. Grace was quick to see the change and handed her a sick bag which Dani quickly took. Grace placed a cool hand on Dani’s forehead, as she scooped up her hair and held it away from the bag for her.

Watching her friend’s distress Evelyn quickly stepped forward and took the bag from Grace’s hands thanking her.

Grace immediately stepped back next to Dr Yeo.

“I’m sorry” Dani said embarrassed “I don’t usually get squeamish but that was just a little too much even for me” she said with a grin.

Dr Yeo spoke “well, I’d like you to stay here for at least another half hour so we can keep an eye on you if that’s okay?” Dani nodded and Grace volunteered herself.

Dani rolled her eyes internally and lay back heavily.

“Dani, if it’s okay, I really need to take care of some things in the Augment chamber” she said in a guilty voice “You know I wouldn’t leave you normally but I really do have to go prep for that soldiers’ immersion”

Dani waved her hand and shooed her friend away with a smile.

Grace took Dani’s BP once more and satisfied she took a seat next to the Commander's bedside.

“Just between you and me” she said conspiratorially “That almost made me sick too” she looked at the Commander and grinned and Dani returned the grin.

“I’d better not hear word of this from anyone else Private, or I’ll know who it came from”

Grace held up her hand in mock innocence “never”

They were quiet for a moment.

“I’m glad you pursued your goals and became a medic Grace” she looked earnestly at the tall soldier by her side. “you’re good at what you do”

Grace blushed and lowered her head. “Thank you” she paused “To be honest Commander, I wasn’t sure if you’d sign off on my second application”

Dani frowned and felt a creeping sense of guilt. “Why”

“Because you knew I would never change my answer to that question you asked me. Whether I’d help the Commander or a less injured soldier first” she looked at her feet.

Dani sighed “Grace, that was an incredibly unfair question to pose to you, let alone anyone. I’d let the emotion of the day get the better of me, and I saw how good you were at teaching, how the children responded to you, so honestly, I wanted to keep you away from the Corps, from everything horrible it can be. I wanted to keep you inspiring the younger generations with your enthusiasm, I didn’t want that brightness to be beaten out of you as soon as you saw what real war was like”

Grace sat in stunned silence. This was the most the Commander had spoken to her since she’d known her. She’d called her by her name, and she'd maintained eye contact. She took a chance and placed her hand over the Commander’s forearm.

“I knew I’d found my calling as soon as I enlisted Commander” she smiled broadly “I know what war does, I lived through it as a child” she leant closer and Dani was captivated by the blue of her eyes. “I wanted to make a real difference, and I know I can do that here”

They locked eyes again, and for a moment Grace felt that the Commander was about to say or do something, but yet again it was Dani who broke the contact. Sitting herself up and pulling of her monitor.

“I need to get back to work Private” she suddenly become detached and serious. “Thank you for helping me today”

Grace stood “Commander” and watched Dani walk out of the med unit.

Grace sighed heavily and walked back up to the viewing platform where she and the three other students watched Dr Yeo complete the procedure by injecting approximately 2000cc of liquid bio mesh in small units under the skin of the soldier. “This will form the protective layer you all saw during your earlier training, we inject approximately 100cc at various locations just under the dermis, and the liquid will spread and join and form the metallic mesh over the course of the next few days.”

Evelyn walked into the theatre and with the assistance of a small laser guided robot, inserted a tiny legion-modified microprocessor into the soldier’s brain. Dr Yeo explained “It’s not switched on yet. We need to let her body heal and let the nanites form those important neural connections. But in a few weeks, she’ll essentially be switched on and she’ll be the Resistance’s newest Augment.

Dr Yeo attached fine cables to the body of the unconscious soldier, and she was raised and then lowered into the Augment Chamber, the large tank containing the nutrient plasma.

“And now we wait” Dr Yeo finished and snapped off her gloves.

Grace sat in the viewing platform for long moments later. Trying to catalogue and remember everything she’d watched today, but also trying to figure the Commander out.

She sensed that there was an attraction there, but Grace was a Private, essentially a grunt, and Dani was the Commander.

She almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of it.

Still. The Commander had caught and held her gaze more than once now. Where she came from, that was an invitation of sorts. _‘But she’s the fucking Commander you jackass!’_ her inner voice chastised her. But her other inner voice chimed in _‘And all you can do is think about fucking her so just ask her out jackass!’_

She growled at nobody and headed for the gym. Exercise always helped clear her mind.

Unbeknownst to her, exercise also helped clear the mind of a certain Commander.

Grace walked into the gym late in the evening expecting it to be empty, but she saw three people using various equipment, a male on the rower, one on a treadmill, and woman at a rack at the far corner, Grace could only catch her side on, but smiled as she appreciated the woman’s strong compact body.

She entered and placed her towel and water bottle at the base of the multi-functional stations and walked over to the treadmill to warm up.

She stepped on and started the machine and began a light jog. She watched the woman at the far corner of the room who was in the middle of a set of wide-grip pull ups. Grace admired her form and her technique. She had a killer body. Tight abs which stood out with each raise she did, great shoulders and biceps, she watched the woman’s lats flare as she pulled herself up again and Grace couldn’t help but get slightly turned on.

She noticed the two soldiers at the other end of the gym finish their sessions and leave, so she turned her attention back toward the woman and kept watching. Thinking of ways she might approach her later.

The woman completed one more rep and then dropped to the ground and leant over catching her breath and letting her arms hang loose at her sides, and Grace appreciated the curve of her tight ass, and the strong thighs which held her up.

Grace averted her eyes as the woman stood up and she turned up the speed on the treadmill.

“Grace?”

Grace looked up and almost flew off the treadmill if not for her quick reflexes.

“uhhh” she gulped “Commander?!” she stopped the treadmill “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise that was you, do you want me to leave so you can have the place to yourself?” Grace was flabbergasted and she didn’t know where to look. Dani was covered in sweat, and beautiful, and Grace had just spent the last five or so minutes appreciating her without knowing it was her.

“Don’t be silly” Dani smiled warmly. She had no idea Grace had entered the gym. She’d been concentrating so hard she hadn’t even heard the treadmill start until she had finished her set. She looked at Grace, sweaty and red faced and felt her stomach do a flop.

Grace groaned inwardly and went towards the multifunction. She plugged in her earphones and turned her music on, losing herself as soon as she started her workout, pullups followed by leg press, followed by bench press, followed by inverted crunches.

Dani couldn’t help herself. She’d always marvelled at _her_ Grace’s physicality and had wondered now how much of that was natural ability which had been enhanced by the augments, and how much of it was solely Augment derived. She soon learned that it was almost all natural ability.

Grace had a wonderfully strong body, a beautiful body, and Dani was hard pressed to continue her workout when she could watch Grace fluidly move through her own.

Each exercise Grace had selected worked a muscle group that Dani found herself fascinated by. The pullups showed off her biceps, her back and shoulders, the leg press, her quads & calves, the bench press, her core and shoulders, and the inverted crunches were all core, Grace’s strong abdominals standing out against her tight tank top.

By the time Grace had finished two circuits Dani had unconsciously moved closer to her station.

Grace started and removed her earphones “Commander!” she said breathlessly.

“You have wonderful form Private” Dani said appreciatively and Grace clearly saw desire in her dark eyes.

Grace grinned and let her cocky side play a little “I can show you some techniques if you want to” she said with a hint of suggestion.

Dani appeared to snap back to herself, she cleared her throat and backed away. “uhh” she picked up her towel “I’ve gotta go do some paperwork” she mumbled.

Grace felt a surge of courage mixed with panic, as though if she didn’t do something now, she never would.

Knowing full well she was overstepping every boundary there was, she pulled the Commander back toward her, wrapped her fingers behind Dani’s neck and kissed her. It was deep, and warm, and frightening, but she knew she had to show Dani how she felt.

Dani initially let herself feel Grace’s lips, her tongue, her hands in her hair, she even wrapped her own arms around the tall soldier and leaned into the kiss, but a second later reality snapped back again and she pushed the taller soldier away from her. Looking around to make sure nobody witnessed the kiss.

“Private!” She shouted.

Grace immediately stood at attention, trembling slightly at what had just happened. She ducked her head and spoke quickly.

“I apologise Commander. It won’t happen again” her eyes met Dani’s and the sincerity shone through “I just needed you to know how I feel, how I’ve always felt” She took a deep breath and blew it out “I wanted you to know that I’m not that 17 year old anymore, I have feelings for you. Real feelings” Her face had gone red with embarrassment. She was slightly mortified by what she had done and wondered if her inability to control her impulse would get her demoted or worse, transferred.

Dani was at a loss for words. Ever since Grace had appeared at the base, she had been a constant distraction for the Commander. She had to admit that she’d grown feelings of her own for Grace, but at the same time, she refused to let ‘this’ Grace into her heart, just because ‘her’ Grace” had so easily.

Grace was almost panicking. The Commander remained angrily silent, and the longer it extended, the worse Grace thought her punishment would be.

“Private Harper” Dani spoke evenly, without emotion. “You will re-join your unit immediately and deploy tomorrow at oh-five-hundred for the Seattle settlement where you will finish the last few months of your medic training”

Grace stood ramrod straight and clenched her jaw but remained at attention.

“Do you understand Private?”

Grace breathed out and replied without making eye contact “Yes ma’am”

“Good. Dismissed” She turned around and stared blankly at the wall in front of her, waiting for the sound of Grace leaving and the door closing. When it did, she waited another minute then practically ran to her office and slumped down in her chair and began to fight back tears.

Private Grace Harper was every inch as stubborn, as brave, as loyal, and as beautiful as her Grace had been close to 20 years ago. Dani’s mind and her body were having trouble separating them, and she no longer knew if she had the desire to fight her feelings for Grace any more.

‘This Grace’ the present Grace, obviously felt something for her. But were they doomed to repeat history if she let those feelings be reciprocated? Could she even move past the confusion in her mind and in her heart when she thought of the Grace of her past, and the Grace of her present and the all too similar feeling the two evoked.

 _‘Is it fated?’_ She sighed silently. That would almost be easier. To give into the inevitability of their love. But would that also mean the inevitability of her sending Grace back to 2020 to save her younger self? Dani grit her teeth ‘ _fuck fate’_ She would never let it repeat, she would never let Grace sacrifice herself again, even if that meant pushing away a woman she knew she could love deeply if she let herself.

  1. That was apparently when Dani would send Grace back. That was five years away. She could come up with endless ways to end Legion in five years. Surely!



She reached into the drawer under her desk and pulled out a bottle of tequila. It wasn’t something she often indulged in, but at this moment, she didn’t want to think anymore.

******

** 2040  **

Dani decided to join Hadrell and his team on their next recon mission. She jumped into the dragonfly and gasped as she came face to face with Specialist Grace Harper. The ancillary teams’ medic _‘Why the fuck don’t I stay on top of these assignments?!’_ She chastised herself.

“Specialist” she nodded to Grace

“Commander” Grace nodded back

Neither woman able to maintain eye contact for very long, but both keenly interested in observing the other.

Grace looked imposing in her combat gear. She’d finally cut her hair shorter and Dani had to swallow the lump in her throat. Grace had taken another leap closer to becoming the spitting image of the Grace from her past. She’d been a combat medic for almost three years now and Dani noted the slight hardening of her features _‘This is what war does’_ she sighed sadly.

Hadrell watched the two for not the first time and sighed inwardly. How long was it going to take them?

“Commander” he greeted her.

“What’s today's mission Captain” she asked and soon lost herself in the briefing. They had found a small human settlement approximately 200 clicks from their location. They’d sent a scouting crew out a few days ago, and the group were more than happy to accept Resistance food and lodging. So Hadrell’s team was going to supply support and airlift the 20 odd people out of their camp. They took two Dragonflies due to the number of people they would be carrying back.

The trip was short, and the hike to the camp took perhaps a half hour. The group were pretty happy to have Resistance help and reported that they’d seen Rev-7 activity around them recently but had no defensive weaponry.

Grace quickly assessed each passenger as they boarded, some with mild malnutrition or dehydration, but none needing any urgent medical care.

She nodded to the pilot who called half of the ancillary corps back to that dragonfly and the rest prepared to board the other.

Just as the last of the crew were aboard Hadrell yelled “7’s” and jumped out of the dragonfly firing his rifle. Grace heard the call and grabbed her rifle too. The entire second Dragonfly disembarked, and the Commander ordered the first to lift off immediately.

The second team stood their ground and held the Rev-7’s at bay until the first dragonfly had left.

“Retreat!” Hadrell called out. There were too many for their small crew to destroy alone, and he had the Commander with him. He wasn’t going to take chances. Grace was standing approximately ten feet to the left of the commander, although both unaware of it at the time.

As the group fell back, a Rev-7 suddenly deftly speared three soldiers in the front line and all three began to fall.

Grace’s training took over, and she instinctively rushed to the fallen soldiers before the last one had even hit the ground. Dani watched in horror as Grace ran closer to the front line.

The last soldier hit the ground, but Grace hadn’t initially noticed that he held a live grenade in his hand. Obviously meant for the 7 in front of him which he hadn’t had a chance to throw.

Dani saw it and sprinted toward them, Hadrell quickly following behind, caught off foot at his Commanders quick and unexpected movement.

Grace reached the group of fallen soldiers just before Dani who watched in slow motion as the grenade bounced on the ground between Grace and herself. Without thinking, Dani used her momentum to push Grace backward and off balance, placing her own body between the grenade and the soldier.

As the grenade exploded, and her vision dimmed, she remembered the second time Grace almost died for her. At the Texas border, the whirr of a fast approaching engine, the pounding of feet behind her, and the sound of her name being called out before she felt herself being forcibly thrown through the air into safety a fraction of a second before the drone crashed into the earth. She remembered the sound of Grace’s body colliding with metal nearby. The sickening thud and the almost deafening silence afterwards. She recalled how vulnerable Grace looked, laying in an unconscious heap on the ground surrounded by burning debris and flashing police lights.

Somehow, 20 years later, this Grace had ended up being beside her during a battle again. But this time, Dani wouldn’t let the young soldier be her shield.

She felt the heat of the flash, the pain of shrapnel against her exposed skin, and the concussive force of the shock-wave as it threw her body back. She landed hard, and her head bounced harshly off the rocky ground before everything went black.

“Commander!” Grace yelled even as the shrapnel was still settling.

She raced over to the prone body of their Commander and her heart almost stopped. If Dani was dead, their war with Legion may as well be too. As much as the Commander had tried to distribute leadership, she was still very much the heart of the Resistance. Without her, Grace knew the war was lost.

“Fuck!” She swore as she dropped next to the Commander and saw the damage done to her head. 

She attached a portable Pulse Oximeter and saw no readings, so she manually felt for a pulse but still couldn’t find one, so she immediately rolled her over and peeled back the Commander’s vest and began performing chest compressions. “Get the dragonfly ready for medical evac!” she ordered Hadrell while continuing the compressions.

He nodded and quickly spoke into his radio.

“What can I do?” he asked. Feeling sick as he watched the medic try to bring the Commander back.

“Get the rest of the crew into the dragonfly” she panted as she pressed hard on Dani’s chest. “And take down those fucking Rev’s!” she yelled as more shots were fired into the team around her.

“Come on Commander” she spoke firmly. She injected her with adrenalin and after a few more chest compressions Dani’s heart started beating by itself again.

Grace sensed that Dani’s heart had stopped beating because of the concussive force of the grenade, not because of any traumatic injury, but the blood pooling around her head was another matter and could be just as life threatening.

She reached into her med kit and pulled out what she needed to try and save the Commanders life.

Around her, Hadrell and his team were fighting off the remaining Rev-7’s and she had confidence that his team would keep their Commander as safe as they could. The rest was up to her for now.

Dani wasn’t wearing a helmet when the blast hit, and she had obviously hit her head hard on the rocky ground. Her pupils were fixed and unresponsive which could mean a bleed inside her brain. She had acceptable breath sounds in both lungs, but her oxygen saturation was still too low. Her PB was 90 over 60 which was also low.

The head trauma was now the biggest risk to Dani’s life.

Copious amounts of blood was pooling at the Commanders head. Grace knew scalp wounds bled a lot, but this looked like more than just a scalp wound.

She poured saline over the side of Dani’s head and found the source of the bleeding.

A piece of metal shrapnel approximately 4 inches long had embedded itself into her scalp. How deep, she had would have no idea until they could get her to the base.

Grace quickly set up a cannula and pushed a two litres bolus saline to try and compensate for some of the blood loss and the low BP. She ripped open a gauze bandage and wrapped it snugly but not tightly around the Commanders head. Trying to slow the flow of blood and keep the shrapnel from moving but not applying too much pressure as to create a clot between her brain and her skull which could be fatal.

“I need help here!” she yelled, and three soldiers quickly joined her and helped her load the Commander into the dragonfly. Grace secured an oxygen mask to the Commander's face and tightened the straps keeping her to the stretcher.

“We have to get her back to base ASAP! She needs a trauma crew!” Grace yelled over the whirr of the engines to Hadrell.

He nodded and called for his team to board the dragonfly. They had pushed back the 7’s but they would likely pursue the heat signature of the Dragonfly to one of the bases exterior tunnel entry points. But for the Commander, he was willing to risk it.

Grace made sure to take the seat closest to the prone Commander so she could keep watch over her.

She checked the rifle strapped to her and made sure it was locked and loaded.

She heard Hadrell use the term “wounded precious cargo” over his radio and knew it was a term reserved for use only when the Commander was injured and inbound.

Grace’s mind drifted to all the medical intervention the Commander would soon need but was jolted back to the present when she felt the touchdown and she immediately jumped out and took one end of the Commanders stretcher.

A few seconds later, her body was thrown into the air and smoke and fire surrounded her and the men who had been in the dragonfly. She searched for the Commander and found her, still secured to the stretcher, still alive.

Hadrell hoisted her to her feet and told her to get the Commander inside. Like there was any other option. She nodded and together she and another soldier picked up the stretcher and started towards the iron gates of the tunnel.

She sensed it before she saw it. A Rev-7 landing mere feet from them and splitting into its two forms. The liquid one charging at her to get to the Commander. She ducked its speared arm and raised her rifle, firing as many rounds into the liquid metal body as she could before it was on top of her.

In that moment, she screamed in pain and knew she’d received critical injuries. She could feel at least two of the Rev’s speared arms inside her torso, likely her liver and her lung, she could feel her right lung collapsing. She knew her back was fractured, and her pelvis too. She felt her stomach quickly become firm as it filled with blood. She performed this self-assessment instinctively in less than 5 seconds but, despite her automatic background medical assessment, she still searched around her for the Commander, who was somehow, miraculously, still snugly wrapped in blankets, secured to the stretcher, the oxygen mask somehow still over her face, less than six feet from where Grace lay.

Grace grit her teeth and pushed the dead Rev of her body, feeling the now soft, dead spears pull out of her own body. Keeping them where they were could have perhaps saved her life, removing them would likely end it. But she had to keep the Commander safe. That was the single though running through her mind. She could hear the tunnel doors rise, but the back-up hadn’t come through yet. It seemed at that moment, it was very much up to her.

She pulled her broken body toward the stretcher, and quickly checked the vitals. All low but not critical. She placed a hand on the Commanders chest and sent a quick prayer that she would be okay.

Another 7 began approaching them and Grace pushed herself up, she raised her rifle with what little strength she had left, held her body over the Commander and kept firing. Through the pain and the terror of the moment, her finger never left the trigger. She could see Rev-7’s encroaching around them, could hear the yells behind her as the heavy metal doors opened and reinforcements poured out, but the entire time, her focus was on protecting the small territory she occupied with the Commander. The rifle felt like lead in her arms, but her finger remained pulled firmly against the trigger as round after round fired into any terminator that came close.

Soldiers quickly surrounded her and the prone Commander. She felt somebody pull the empty rifle out of her hands, and her body immediately collapsed to the side.

“Get them inside!” she heard Hadrell’s voice over the commotion. And she felt herself being half lifted, half dragged back towards the tunnel entry.

She faded in and out of consciousness as she was taken into the tunnel. She felt the sharp insertion of chest tube between her ribs to drain the blood collapsing her lungs, without anaesthetic, the pain surged through her but she could immediately breath again.

She tried to stop the medic and tell her to attend to the Commander. She felt herself losing consciousness again, and in a moment of fear and desperation she volunteered herself to the Augmentation program. She didn’t want to die, nobody did, but she also wanted to make sure she could continue protecting her Commander. It was the latter thought that stayed with her as she lay semi-conscious on the operating table less than an hour later.

***

“Easy Commander” she medic warned gently. “You’ve been unconscious for almost two weeks”

Dani heard hushed talking around her, and a soft, regular beeping she immediately identified as a heart monitor. ‘ _Hospital’_ she thought to herself. Her head throbbed, and she couldn’t open her eyes more than a crack _‘Grace!’_ She suddenly remembered the grenade landing at Grace’s feet, and her panicked lunge to push Grace out of the way before the concussive force of the explosion sent shooting pain through her body and turned everything black.

“Where’s Specialist Harper” she asked, fear clearly lacing her voice.

The medic answered automatically “She’s in the AC”

Dani almost leapt out of her bed but was held back by the medic. The Augmentation Chamber was for soldiers who volunteered to become Augments. Grace couldn’t have volunteered!

“How did that happen!?” Dani asked through clenched teeth.

The medic shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat “Specialist Harper volunteered for the programme Commander” she took a deep breath before plunging ahead “She’d sustained critical injuries during the last mission. She came in with severe chest trauma, punctured lungs, a lacerated liver, a fractured pelvis and spine. We believe she might have survived her injuries Commander, but she would never have left the base again, likely never walked again. She volunteered before she even arrived in the trauma unit”

Dani felt bile rise to the back of her throat. She knew this kind of trauma was usually the result of a face to face confrontation with Rev’s _‘What the fuck happened?’_ Her mind screamed. How had Grace ended up on the front line? She was a Specialist, a medic. A soldier to be sure, but as far from a front-line soldier as Dani could manoeuvre her without her knowing.

The Augmentation procedure was strictly reserved for soldiers who were injured and dying or likely to die. They had to be volunteers. The procedure, if successful, could provide a short extension on their lives, an extension during which they became invaluable military assets in the war against legion, but which came at a high cost.

Augments didn’t usually live longer than 3 to 10 years after the procedure, and that was if they survived the procedure to begin with. There was a 60% mortality rate for the surgical process alone, and afterwards, if they survived recovery and training, they became front line Special Operations soldiers, literal weapons against Legion. But all that took its toll. Either in brute force during attacks, or in slow decay over time as the organic parts of their hybrid bodies became unable to cope with the demands of the mechanical elements, while the power cores extreme exothermic reactions and constant production of toxic bi-products slowly inhibited their performance to the point where they eventually became too sick to be of service. At which point their machinery, microprocessor, power core and plasma components were all incinerated so as to leave nothing for Legion to pick over.

To add to that, the life of an Augment was one of constant pain, constant overwork, and constant medication. Their bodies were modified for speed, strength, agility and accuracy, but required regular cocktails of anti inflammatories, painkillers, cortico-steroids, and anticonvulsants to keep them functioning. During periods of extreme energy output, their bodies became highly exothermic causing them to overheat and, if left un-treated, they would begin to shut down as the organic parts of their bodies; brain, nervous system, lungs, liver, kidneys, began to fail. This painful and disorienting process, referred to as “crashing” would end in the Augment either stroking out or going into organ failure and eventually dying if they weren’t able to cool down and administer their life saving medication in time.

It made her sick to her stomach. She’d fought the Augment programme tooth and nail when it was in its inception. But fighting against Legion eventually meant utilising Legion technology against itself and, as Commander, Dani couldn’t deny the logic. She allowed Evelyn to proceed with the program but under strict guidelines, trying to ensure no soldier volunteered themselves without first meeting strict criteria, primarily that they would likely die without the enhancements. 

She came back to herself and asked for a wheelchair, quietly ordering the staff to take her to the AC which they did. She asked them to leave, which again, they did without question.

She wheeled herself closer to the tank and let out a choked sob _‘this can’t be happening!’_ All her effort and planning to keep Grace at a distance and safe, all the sleepless nights spent trying to figure out ways to divert the path their lives were taking, only to end up exactly where fate said they would. She let the tears fall, nobody was there to see them.

Grace was suspended, almost whimsically, in the tank. The near-invisible cables attached to strategic junctures on her body, keeping her afloat in the clear nutrient plasma. She had a mask securely fitted over her nose and mouth, feeding her oxygen, and no doubt also a feeding tube, sending liquid sustenance into her stomach.

She looked almost ethereal. Her beautiful long muscular body in complete repose, lit from all directions. The regular rise and fall of her chest and occasional involuntary muscle twitch the only indication that she was actually still alive.

Dani took a moment to really take in the younger woman. _‘God, she’s beautiful’_ Her now shorter hair formed a golden halo around her head as the blonde locks floated slowly in the fluid, her powerful shoulders and arms, relaxed gently at her sides, long legs bent ever so slightly at her hips and knees where the cable junctures attached. Expanses of hard muscle, covered in smooth, still mostly unscarred skin. Skin which now however, bore even more distinct scars. Hot white scars which marked incision sites for her augments. Dani’s stomach lurched as she thought about what Grace had gone through to get those scars. dozens of hours of surgery, months of healing ahead of her, and now her body, still definitely human, contained Legion augments which were decidedly not human.

Dani remembered that the first of the medical procedures was to reinforce all of the large load-bearing bones in Grace’s body with the hard mesh alloy. The long bones of her legs and arms, her spine, ribcage and pelvis all reinforced. Her scull lined with metal plating to protect the microprocessor buried within. Her skin would have been lifted in precise segments, a metallo-organic subdermal layer placed underneath the dermis which would eventually grow and join neighbouring layers to form an uninterrupted, fully flexible protective mesh. High-tech chainmail was what Dani often thought of it. Grace’s blood would have been completely transfused, a synthetic nutrient rich plasma added to the existing red and white blood cells. A plasma which contained millions of nanites which would circulate her body, repairing tissue damage at a heightened rate and provide the machinery inside her body with vital lubrication and an efficient way to break down and remove debris and waste.

All of the new augmentations now ran off a modified Rev7 microprocessor, a tiny implanted chip somewhere inside Grace’s brain which not only instructed and assessed all of her new mechanical augments, but her biological ones as well. Her retinas now contained legion implants to display this information any way Grace instructed it to. Her vision also enhanced to allow night-vision, infra-red, X-ray, zoom capabilities, and predictive-vis. Her new body was now powered by an electro-magnetic power core which at one time would have been capable of powering a small town.

Dani felt a pang of mixed dread and grief and she remembered the heat and weight of the core in her hand as she drew it from Grace’s dying body some 20 years ago. She looked through the glass at the perfectly beautiful, perfectly whole body suspended before her. She wouldn’t let that happen again, not ever. She put her hand up against the cool glass as though her thoughts could be sent straight to Grace, transmitted via the nutrient liquid surrounding her body. Grace, no doubt, had done this to protect her Commander and Dani would forever be grateful for this brave, loyal fierce woman, but as Commander, she would never let Grace suffer for her again, she just wished she knew how to guarantee it.

****

Dani felt the hand in hers twitch and she watched as Grace’s beautiful blue eyes opened and immediately focused on her. Dani Smiled at the soldier.

“How are you feeling Specialist?” Dani asked with a smile, knowing full well Grace would be feeling all kinds of terrible and had a very long road ahead of her.

“Sergeant” Grace said back in a gravelly voice that hadn’t been used for a long time.

At Dani’s frown, Grace gestured to the table beside her bed and beamed at the pin and stripes that had been placed there. 

_‘fuck!’_ Of course. Now that Grace was an Augment, she was a conditional member of Hadrell’s Special Ops team. This knowledge turned her stomach, but she tried to shove it down when she saw the proud look on Grace’s face.

“Congratulations Sergeant” Dani tried to smile, but she knew it didn’t reach her eyes.

Grace didn’t fail to notice the Commander’s reaction to her promotion, but she tried not to let it get to her.

“How are you doing Commander?”

Dani smiled genuinely “Fine” she squeezed Grace’s hand “Thanks to you” she touched the scar along her scalp “A new haircut, but the same hard head”

Grace smirked “It suits you”

“Which?”

“Both” Grace laughed, and quickly squinted in pain. “Oh man. I’ve got to stop doing that”

“Grace, really, how are you doing?” She passed the younger woman some water and waited for her to drink most of it.

“They tell me I’m doing remarkably well” she quirked a smile “I’m young, healthy, and strong” her smile became slightly cocky and Dani smiled back “The perfect candidate apparently”

“I was told you were in pretty bad shape when they got you to the base?” Dani queried. She’d heard the stories from various soldiers and from Evelyn, but she wanted to see what Grace would say.

“Mmmm” she nodded “They said I’d make it” she looked Dani in the eyes “But I’m a medic, was a medic. I know what that means” her eyes softened. “I knew my spine was broken, I knew the rev had punctured my liver, I could feel my lungs collapsing, I felt the shock taking over” she closed her eyes remembering the surreal haze of the moment. “I might have made it, but I knew I’d never be a soldier again, never be physically whole again” She clenched her jaw.

Dani took a breath, imagining the soldier’s dilemma.

“But you know the risk of the Augmentation program Grace” she spoke softly “Was that risk really worth it?”

“Was it worth the risk to the Resistance putting yourself between me and that grenade Commander” Grace asked back with a raised brow.

Dani’s expression remained serious, she refused to answer.

Grace stared straight ahead, trying to figure out how to convey here choice to the Commander. She looked the Commander in the eye and spoke the truth.

“When you found me, I was a kid, I survived because I was fast, I was smart, and I was okay with not eating every day. I killed only when I absolutely had to, and every time, I felt sick for days. I took a life some days, so I could keep mine for a few more, it just didn’t seem balanced”

Dani teared up at this. She had never asked Grace about her life after Judgement Day, before she found her.

“But then you found me, you took me in, you gave me a purpose. You taught me to fight for something bigger than myself. And suddenly, taking a life to protect the Resistance, to protect you” she squeezed Dani’s hand “didn’t seem so unbalanced” She looked back at Dani and her eyes were bright with unshed tears “You saved me Commander. What bigger gift is there than that?”

“Grace. I …” Dani shook her head trying to refute the younger soldier.

“No bullshit remember” she smiled “I’d have been dead within the next year or two if you hadn’t found me. But you did. You gave me a home, and you gave me a purpose. I could fight to protect. I could save lives even” Her bright eyes conveyed her own astonishment at the thought of it.

Dani smiled silently. It was true. The 17-year-old Grace she’d met would likely have been killed if the resistance hadn’t scooped her up. And the enthusiasm she put into everything she did after that was an inspiration to watch.

“But then, you got hurt” Dani snapped aback to Grace, and saw her face darken “and there wasn’t anything I could really do for you out in the field except keep you stable. I couldn’t protect you’ she closed her eyes “you put yourself in front of that grenade”

“Grace” Dani whispered, clasping her hand tighter.

“I know why you did it Commander” her eyes darted to Dani and then back to the ceiling again “I’d have done the same, if I was just a second quicker”

Dani felt her stomach fall at the thought of it.

“But you go hurt. I mean really hurt. And all I could do was patch you up and hope for the best until we got you to base”

“They tell me, you saved my life” Dani spoke softly. Hoping Grace would hear the truth of it.

Grace shrugged. “I had a rifle, and I knew how to fire it” she smirked. “I was running on adrenalin Commander” she again turned to Dani and her face sobered. “I knew I was probably going to die” she said it so matter-of-factly it scared Dani “But I wasn’t going to die without at least trying to protect you”

That was the simple truth. Dani’s life meant more to her than her own. And despite being a critically injured medic, and despite only having only basic combat training, she commanded her broken body to protect the Commander even if the cost was her own life.

“Grace. I” she shook her head. It was spinning “I don’t know what to say” she said truthfully.

“You’re the Commander” Grace answered back as though the answer was clear. “Our mission is to protect the resistance, and you ARE the resistance”

Dani opened her mouth to speak, but Grace moved to sit up and Dani quickly helped her raise the bed.

“As an Augment, I can do so much more. I can protect you better than I ever could have before” She grit her teeth as a wave of nausea or pain, or both washed over her. Dani moved to call the nurse, but Grace stopped her.

“It’s okay. They say it’ll take a while for my body to accept the augmentation. It’s treating it like a virus at the moment, and to be honest, I would have so skipped this part” she smiled wryly.

“Commander, I volunteered because I can be of so much more service to you and to the Resistance in Spec Ops. I can make a real difference on the front line” she said with a hint of excitement.

“So, the answer your question is yes. Yes, the risk of the procedure was worth it to me. This new body will let me be a real, contributing part of the Resistance for years to come”

Dani felt bile raise in her throat. _‘Two years’_ That was how much time they had before Legion developed their time travel technology. Before Grace would offer to travel back in time. And the event’s out on the field mere weeks ago that had led to Grace finally becoming an Augment, Dani saw as the beginning of the end as far as she was concerned. 

“Commander?” Grace questioned the Commanders worried look.

“Sergeant” Dani spoke more formally than she meant to. Her emotions, so quick to rise, gave her away too easily.

“Are you okay?”

“Si” she shook her head “yes” she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I think I’m just tired”

“I hear that” Grace grinned and retracted the bed back into its reclined position.

Dani rose, she’d been holding Grace’s hand practically the entire time, and it almost physically hurt to let it go.

“You get your rest Sergeant” she placed a hand on Grace’s strong shoulder “Augment training isn’t a walk in the park” she said trying to inject a little levity.

“Oh, I look forward to it Commander” Grace said eagerly, even though her eyes had already become heavy with sleep.

Dani watched Grace drift off. Her face in complete repose. She had the desire to lean over and kiss the soldier right then and there but pulled herself away.

She sighed. Augment Training would begin for Grace in less than a week. She knew she’d be there for it no matter what.

***


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a deeper look into the Augments' capabilities as I imagine them.  
> I decided I really liked Evelyn's character and decided to explore her relationship with Dani a little more.  
> A bit of angst, and bit of blood and gore and yes, a bit of hot and steamy, but not between the two we want to ... yet.  
> Still a slow burn between Dani and Grace.

** 2040 **

Dani had been awake for five days but had at least another week to go unit the medical team gave her clearance for her to return to duty.

She had visited Grace daily until the day she woke up, yesterday. After that something made her hesitate to take herself into the room where the tall augment lay, recovering quickly by all accounts.

So for a week she sat in her hospital bed, committee members would come to her if it was urgent, Evelyn would visit daily as would Hadrell, she’d catch up on reports, and try to keep her mind busy, but inevitably her thoughts would stray to Grace in some way.

Her nightmare-memory became a nightly occurrence and eventually, noticing the dark circles under her friends’ eyes, and the anxiety clearly rolling off her body, it was Evelyn, the person closest to Dani, who quietly asked if she might want her journal brought up to her.

Dani thumbed the pages of the well-worn book, took a deep sigh, and opened it up to the beginning. A place she hadn’t visited in many years.

***

_Sarah says this will help. I hope so. She says I’ve been waking up most nights crying or screaming and that it’s getting in the way of her “black-out” habit *insert laughter*_

_I know she’s mostly joking, but since we came back to Carl’s Cabin all I can think of is Grace, all I can remember is Grace. Sarah says that if I write it down, maybe I won’t think so much the next day. Maybe I’ll get a good night’s sleep._

_Sarah sat with me the first day back at the cabin and explained not in much detail why she’d been the way she was with Grace. She said that when she was my age, a soldier from the future named Kyle had come back in time to saver her._

_She said that they had loved each other in the short time they had together, but that ultimately, he had died protecting her. She said that she had been able to sense Grace’s love for me from the moment the two of us were in that dirty hotel room together! Really? Apparently the way Grace casually touched my arm or my shoulder, the way she quickly looked me over, making sure I was okay, the way she put herself in-front of me when she sensed danger._

_Sarah got all of that from a heated, semi-hostile discussion in a dirty hotel room._

_All I remember was feeling grief over my brother and father, a mild panic at the thought of Grace not waking up, relief when she did, disbelief when she said she came from 2042, and a deep sadness when Sarah told us who she was and how she knew so much about all this stuff._

_Anyway, Sarah says that she saw Grace’s love for me almost immediately, and that she didn’t want what happened to her, to happen to me. She didn’t want me to experience the deep wounds that comes with loving somebody intensely for a short period only to have them taken from you._

_She also said that time and loss had turned her into a … what did she call herself? … “a cynical spiteful hide of old fucking leather”. I laughed out loud at this. She’d been nothing but caring toward me. But with Grace it was different._

_Sarah had an inherent distrust of anything from the future for obvious reasons. She said that it wasn’t until the trip between the train and my Tio’s ranch that she understood Grace’s motivations. I know that I had fallen asleep as I did so often back then, and Grace had offered me her leg instead of the cold hard metal of the truck._

_Sarah said that Grace barely took her eyes off me for the whole trip to my uncles, that she could see a combination of deep grief, with hope and awe every time she watched Grace watching me._

_I guess, now I know why. Grace had lost ‘her’ Dani, lost what they had shared, so that she could come back and protect me, another Dani. I can’t even comprehend it to be honest._

_I wish I had Sarah’s intuition. Sarah says it’s a muscle that takes some flexing but I’ll get there in time._

_I just wish I could have seen what she had seen sooner._

_I know that I had an understanding of Grace’s dedication and blind perseverance that moment I left the truck to find the police. The way she pleaded for me to come back, the way she tried to reach me despite being so sick, it made my chest hurt. In hindsight I now know that’s when my heart must have registered some form of love for her. But my stupid head just didn’t see it._

_I mean, I picked up her gun when she passed out in the pharmacy. Me. Sensible, safe, practical Dani Ramos. Picked up a freaking gun, to protect this virtual stranger. Of course, I already felt something for her, I just had no way to process it._

_It’s been about a week since Grace first appeared in my life, a mere four days since the dam, but It feels like a year! As I look back on those three days we had together, and as I remember what she said to me in the turbine room, I can see the truth of it._

_Te quiero. Words that should fill me with joy just hurt._

_Hindsight really is a bitch …._

_I remember how familiar Grace was with me from the start. The way she grabbed me by the back of my neck and told me to go with her, the way she immediately called me ‘Dani’ as though she knew me. The way she told me to put my seatbelt on, as though it wasn’t for the first time, that makes me smile. The way she so easily pulled me from the truck and held me as Diego was taken, the way she shielded me with her own body when Sarah threw the grenade over the bridge._

_I can see now how all of that speaks to how she knew me, knew me physically, had held me before in her future, knew my body in some way._

_I can see now the meaning behind the look she gave me when we spoke on the train. When she said “I was lucky, somebody found me” she let her guard slip for a moment, and now I can see._

_I can also see now how I was unconsciously responding to her. Touching her leg to offer her comfort. Thinking she had died at the Laredo border, protecting me from the drone strike, and the leap in my heart the moment I saw her, strong and whole, breaking the lock on the cell door, how I had to reach up and touch her to make sure she was real, how she quickly led me out of harms way._

_The fear and anger in her voice when she told me I couldn’t do stupid shit like that after I’d jumped out of the chopper to buy time for Sarah._

_Watching her take the beer from Carl and feeling my heart melt as she looked at it not knowing what to do initially. Watching her impress my uncle with her blade skills, then happily eat away half of what he’d put out for us, it makes me laugh. Half machine indeed, but with the appetite of my little brother. Those memories of her pure innocence and enjoyment genuinely make me smile._

_The fierceness in her eyes when Sarah suggested making me bait, and the quiet acceptance that followed when I supported the plan. The way she felt when she briefly wrapped her long body around me to show me how to use the gun I was holding. I clearly remember my stomach feeling funny, but Sarah interrupted all to quickly with a bigger gun._

_Of course, she did._

_God! I wish I’d had more time! I wish I’d learned earlier to listen to my inner voice, my heart, whatever it was that was pulling me toward her._

_I remember that quiet moment in the C5 cockpit, suddenly and quite acutely appreciating Grace’s capability and her physicality. The way she looked when she stood and started explaining the plan ahead, I honestly didn’t hear a word of what she said, I was too busy finally taking her in. Her tall lean body, her muscular arms, her focused expression, her beautiful face, and the intense blueness of her eyes._

_The way she sighed in defeat when I formed a new plan, she already knew my mind was made up and wouldn’t be changed. The way she said “Yeah, I know you” the look in her eyes, I knew she meant more than just knowing me in a passing way, or as a friend. She knew me more intimately. And I sat there, not knowing how to process it._

_And then she tells me I am supposed to be this person who saves the world. I mean, come on! How do you suddenly have a revelation of the heart, about who you love, and follow that up with trying to process the enormity of your supposed future. It was all too much too quickly._

_Even when it all went to shit, as soon as Grace had me wrapped up in her arms, as ridiculous as it might sound, I knew I was okay. Yes, in a falling aircraft, even when we were spinning out of control, weightless as the plane kicked with an explosion, even with a terminator attacking us, even with a huge hole in the side of the plane, I knew Grace would keep me safe. And she did._

_Honestly, I was more terrified when she climbed out onto the Humvee and took out her knife. The way she looked back down at me briefly, again telling me to strap in, well, it felt like she might have been saying goodbye. She cut the cables so swiftly, again just effortlessly putting herself between me and that metal machine._

_Then the hug, as brief as it was, it gave me strength._

_I saw her swimming towards us, and I was so relieved I immediately got back in the water to embrace her. She was so warm I didn’t want to let go, but we had to move. We always had to move. Move or die._

_And then she started to crash again. And my chest started to constrict. She didn’t have her meds. Sarah and I helped her back to the dam, and even then, she tried to use what little strength she had to get us to safety. The way she fought the door made me feel like she would break herself. I remember putting my hand on her back, trying to offer what little support I could._

_I knew she was close to passing out when she dropped to the ground and told me to run. Her eyes afraid and unfocused. And I remember the drop I felt in my stomach when she suggested we use her power source. I remember holding her hand briefly before Carl literally slid toward us. I remember the warmth and rightness of keeping a physical connection to her, even when she was trying to push us away._

_I remember her confidently striding into the turbine room, assessing it and deciding on her weapon._

_And what did I do? I stood there, weapon-less, and let Carl, Sarah and Grace do all the work. Sure. I wasn’t going to run, I also didn’t really know how to fight. But they did._

_The way Grace swung that chain was something to behold. It was like some kind of surreal, horrifying ballet. Carl took the brunt of the Rev’s attack simply because his body could. But I remember the moment the Rev speared Grace through her vest, the sound she made, the sound the spear made. All I could think about was getting him away from her, so I called and he came. Letting Grace go, leaving Sarah to push him back before Carl intervened again._

_And again, I watched Grace get up and start spinning that chain, the way she moved her body to allow it to whip through the liquid form of the Rev-9, felling it in a few swift strikes. It was breathtaking. But the machine didn’t stop. It seemed like it never would._

_Grace soon had him wrapped up in the chain, pulling him back towards the spinning turbine. Carl joined in to help, and for a moment, I thought that we might actually come out of this alive. I saw his speared arm strike out and hit Grace again. I saw her momentarily fall back but return quickly, wrapping the chain around his mouth, keeping her distance so he couldn’t reach her again._

_The Rev looked at me with what I can only describe as hatred, although I’m not sure the machine was capable of a human emotion. Grace heard it, she saw it, and she pulled on him harder, determined not to let him near me again, she literally used everything she had._

_I watched in horror as her arms started to split, and she screamed as she pulled with every ounce of strength and determination she had._

_And again, for a moment, I thought we might just get out of this alive, when Grace managed to split his head, and Carl shoved him into the turbine._

_But I was wrong._

_My nightmares recall everything that happened after that, and I can’t bring myself to write about seeing Grace broken and in pain, at least not yet._

_But in that quiet moment when she held my forearm to bring me closer, and I stroked her cheek to offer her comfort. We knew. There didn’t have to be words. But she spoke them anyway._

_Te Quiero_

_I am grateful for that quiet second or two. But I wish I could forget everything after it. I wish she was here so I could say it back to her._

***

Dani looked up from her journal and wiped away her tears. It might have hurt to read those pages again, but it also made her laugh and remember some of the moments she’d forgotten.

Evelyn had been right, of course. Dani smiled. Reading or writing in her journal usually made her feel better. And this moment was no different.

She closed the pages and leant back in her hospital bed, thinking about the upcoming Augment training and how she had organised with Evelyn to be present for the first day, as she always tried to when a new batch came through. Evelyn of course accommodated the Commander and organised it so that training would start when she was discharged.

But this time it would be different. This time Grace would be there, and instead of the cold dread she usually felt when she thought of Grace, this time her stomach fluttered at the thought of spending a few days in the tall woman’s presence. She’d decided that she wanted to get to know her.

And for the first night in a while, she had a dreamless sleep.

***

“All right soldiers” Dani walked amongst the new Augment recruits, twirling her butterfly knife absently as she did. “Today is the day you figure out the limitations of your bodies. What they’re capable of, and what it feels like when you’ve exceeded that capacity”

The four recruits watched her move confidently around them. Each wanting to make their Commander proud.

“You might think you’re tough shit because of all that Legion tech inside your bodies, but believe me. When you crash, you’ll feel as week as day old kittens”

The tall, male recruit named Marshall laughed at the idea, but Dani’s dark eyes stopped him.

“Your metabolism has been tuned for short bursts of energy, you don’t have an endless supply, so you either use it wisely and take out the terminator, or you die”

The four recruits shifted slightly, trying to take in the truth.

“But there is a way for you to regain your strength, and as you learn your bodies capabilities, you’ll be able to ward off this crash in energy. It isn’t a reboot, and you won’t regain full strength without rest, nutrition and hydration, but it is a way for you to get out of trouble when you need to".

Dani raised her hand and the lights of the arena came on, illuminating the areas they hadn’t been able to see before.

“Fucking A” Torez, the tall dark-skinned female recruit grinned. Dani watched Grace smile, always competitive, and shuffle her feet slightly.

The arena had been set up as an obstacle course. But not one just any Resistance soldier could complete, although many had tried.

“This is not a race soldiers” Dani spoke firmly “In fact we only expect you to complete one round of this circuit and it won't be timed”

The recruits looked between each other in confusion.

The purpose of this exercise is not to see how many times you can complete the circuit, or how fast you can do it, but if you can identify when your body is at its limit. If you can stop a crash when it happens”, she took a deliberate moment “And believe me. Today it will”

She walked the recruits around the large obstacle course. It seemed to start off relatively easy enough with a twenty-foot rope climb to monkey bars which seemed quite spaced out from where they stood. Then there was a descent via netting. The augments would then race through a gauntlet of sorts. Metal dummies, similar to the wooden ones used in kung fu were set up close to each other on top of pivots so that they swung and turned randomly.

Grace noticed that many of the dummies ‘arms’ had various sharp objects attached to them, knife blades, broken bottles, rebar. Set between most of the dummies was a wooden 2.4 set into the ground, she wasn’t sure what they were for, but her stomach suddenly clenched at the thought of the knives

“You’re aim will be to push back, or dodge the metal attackers, while breaking all of the posts between here and the end as you can, you can use your legs, your arms or your whole bodies, but you must break each of them while keeping yourselves relatively safe from the metal attackers.

“Shit” Evans, the lanky former chopper pilot, swore under his breath. 

The next part of the obstacle course was a 50m swim, which would normally be easy for any Resistance soldier, but the Augments knew that because of the metal inside their bodies this swim would be taxing, still, each of them squared their shoulders. The second last part of the course was where they would have to push, pull, drag or otherwise move a 400 pound or 180 kg tire up a 100 meter embankment. The final part of the course ended with a familiar wooden wall scale which all of them were relieved for.

Each component by itself was really no different to any of the boot-camps they endured during basic training, except for the stabby metal dummies. But combined, they knew this was going to be hell.

They would all start one after the other, and no one could start the next phase until the last had finished theirs.

“You’re going to wish you were dead by the end of this exercise soldiers. And believe me, that’s the point. To stay focused in the face of imminent death. But also to be in control of your bodies, to be able to read them and to attend to them either before a crash, or before you pass out during a crash, because if that happens, and you’re all alone” she paused again. ”You’re never going to wake up again” She snapped her butterfly blade closed with a quick flick and walked out of the arena.

The observation deck was full, but the Commander always had a spot at the front along with Evelyn and a few of the other scientists.

“Harper, you’re up first” She directed clearly through the speaker.

Grace nodded and jumped onto the rope, deftly wrapping her long legs around the bottom of it and pulling her body to the top. She reached the top and grasped the monkey bars, realising that in order to get from one to the other, she’d have to work up the momentum to swing her body, release her grip and hope to catch the next. She grit her teeth and began swinging.

Dani watched in rapt attention. Grace was absolutely breathtaking in action. Her strong, capable body, never showing signs of fatigue. Dani looked up at her monitor and noticed that her pulse was slightly raised as would be expected but all other vitals were well within normal range.

Grace reached the top of the net, and like a graceful spider she tumbled down to the ground, using her hands and feet to keep a hold of the net, but letting gravity do most of the work.

She reached to bottom and lent over, winded and a little tired, but feeling pretty good.

Marshall and Torez followed and completed the task in almost identical fashion. Evans was last and climbed the rope easily enough but misjudged the first monkey bar and his grip failed, sending him 20 feet back down where he hit the ground hard, but stood up quickly and began the climb again. This time he made it and got to the bottom of the net where he was cheered on by his team-mates.

Evelyn and Dani looked up at the monitors. All four Augments were doing well so far. Evans had a cracked rib from his fall, but none of them were showing obvious signs of fatigue yet.

“Marshall” Dani spoke over the intercom, and immediately the large man entered the gauntlet. He took his time and managed to dodge most of the metal dummies. He used his legs mostly to take down the wooden posts, sustaining a few opportunistic cuts to his legs as he did. One metal dummy managed to scrape into the back of his shoulder deeply with the broken bottle while his back was turned trying to split the wooden post. He grunted but stepped to the podium at the end and sat down heavily.

Dani noticed that his readings were now slightly elevated. Still not yet anywhere near close to crashing but about where she expected them to be.

Evans went text and sustained fewer cuts than Marshall but expended more energy taking the wooden posts down as he threw his whole body against them, taking them down quickly, but at greater caloric cost.

Torez looked as though she was dancing between the dummies. She kicked a few boards in half but had to use her body weight with a few. She got stabbed in her shoulder once, and had a nice tear along her thigh, but she was by far the quickest through that section. She stood at the end podium and called out for Grace to do better.

 _‘Shit’_ both Dani and Evelyn said silently when they sat Grace’s quick grin and set of her shoulders.

She’d had time to observe the movements of the metal dummies and had thought she may have figured out a way to beat the challenge the most efficiently. She recalled Dani’s instructions to them “To push back or dodge” the metal dummies. So far the recruits had all attempted to dodge, so she was going to push back. She grinned and jumped onto the platform.

The first dummy spun her way and she kicked at its’ arm, immediately dislodging the knife in its’ hand and freeing herself up to take down the first post with a strong kick.

She stopped the next dummy with her forearm, and simultaneously used a side kick to take down the next post.

She misjudged the next two dummies because as she shattered the glass bottle in one of their hands, she saw the dummy at its side swing towards her and she felt the sharp bite of rebar into her lower back, taking her breath away momentarily, she stopped. But rage overtook her and not only did she kick the arm completely off the dummy, she practically rammed her body through the two remaining posts, using her forearms to brace against the impact, they split in half easily.

She reached the finishing podium and quickly used her RD to assess the damage to her body. No internal organ damage, some bleeding and a whole lot of muscle pain as it had torn through the large muscle that attached her ribs to her pelvis. She shunted blood flow temporarily away from the stab wound and got up.

Dani was impressed. Of all the Augments she was the only one to have done this yet.

All four recruits were obviously tired, but none anywhere near their limits.

Dani spoke through the intercom. "Okay. The pool is wide enough for you all to go at once” she paused. “One more thing recruits, this pool will have a current and you will be swimming against it".

All four used variations of curse words as they heard engines start and the water in the pool started to flow toward them.

“When you’re ready” Dani spoke.

Grace jumped in first, followed by the other three almost in unison.

Grace had been a strong swimmer as a child, but this was something altogether different.

She was fully clothed and had over 100 pounds of legion technology insider her body. She kicked off her boots and stripped off her jacket which made it a bit easier. She then used her RD to access her microprocessor to direct energy away from her core and out to her extremities, and suddenly, despite the current, and despite the extra weight, she was able to make stroke after stroke, kick after kick almost effortlessly until she reached the finish, well ahead of the rest of her team.

Dani smiled and Evelyn noticed, not for the first time but kept her musings to herself. As the lead scientist of the Augment engineering team, she was impressed with the tall Augments’ natural instinct to use her microprocessors functionality to enhance her ability.

Grace extricated herself and went back along the pool edge, yelling at her team to lose their extra clothing, to redirect their power source.

Dani could see Torez immediately access her RD and divert energy to her legs and arms. The other two followed suite but Evans seemed to have trouble gaining control over his microprocessor via his RD.

Eventually they all made it to the end and collapsed to the ground.

“Electrolytes are unbalanced, dehydration is imminent, and they’ll need glucose soon” Evelyn rattled off the readings on the monitors in front of her.

Almost as if hearing the doctor, Grace ripped open one of the pockets of her fatigues and extracted a small water cannister into which she poured rehydration salts, and a liquid glucose sachet. She mixed it vigorously and drank it down fast. It was only about 400cc worth of fluid but is immediately brought up her stats.

The other three followed suit but Marshal and Evans only drank their water, while Torez sucked down her glucose gel and then drank her canteen.

“Phase 4 begins in two minutes soldiers” Dani spoke.

The four soldiers raised themselves and each took position next to their tyres. There were no obvious hand holds, and they looked heavier than their 400lb.

“Begin” Dani spoke.

Immediately Evans and Marshall tipped their tyres onto their sides and began walking them up the embankment.

Grace and Torez both squatted and flipped their tyres over.

Marshall lost his footing and slipped first, and his tyre rolled down the embankment. Evans stopped to watch and his was next to do the same.

For some reason the embankment was becoming increasingly wet and muddy and Grace realised that there was a small sprinkler system embedded in the ground. Making it wet and sodden. Just another layer to add to an already hard task.

Luckily the way that Torez and Grace had decided to move their tyres left less room for them to slide or lose their footing.

But eventually they too struggled just to keep a grip on their now wet, mud covered tyres.

Grace yelled in frustration and thought quickly. She assessed the material the tyre was made of, used her X-Ray vision to find the thinnest surface of the tyre and took a deep breath. She formed a fist and punched a hole clean through the most worn edge of the tyre. She took off her belt and fed it through the hole and through the space between it and the rim of the wheel. She’d essentially made a grab hold, which she effectively used to pull the tyre the rest of the way. She took each step slowly and if she felt her footing give way, she’d release the belt, knowing that the weight of the prone tyre would keep in in place. It took her another 10 minutes, but she made it to the top and collapsed on top of her tyre. She raised her hand to her eyes and saw that despite minor inflammation there was no bone damage thankfully.

She also assessed her stats and saw that despite the earlier hydration and carbohydrates, her body was going to start going downhill soon, so she lay back and tried to calm her breathing while her teammates all eventually made it to the top.

“Last phase begins in 3 minutes”

“You've gotta be fucking kidding me” Torez panted.

Evans threw up from exhaustion and hyperventilation.

Grace sat up and told her team to all take some easy slow breaths. To drink if they had any water left, and to use a field ration, which she did immediately.

The buzzer went off all to quickly and the four recruits all tied off to the harnesses at the bottom of the wooden wall climb. They grabbed the ropes and began ascending.

Grace was on high alert. It didn’t make sense for them to make the last task of the obstacle course one of the easiest. She turned on her X-ray and immediately saw the ruse.

“Sections of the wall are hydraulically operated! Turn on your X-ray” Just as she finished her warning to her teammates, a section of the wall jutted out and caught her square in the ribs, she lost her hand hold and fell towards the ground. Luckily the harnesses had been programmed to limit the fall so that the recruits could keep climbing as soon as they’d taken the hit.

Torz was next to fall, then Marshall and Evans.

The next time a piece of the wall pushed out towards Grace she was ready, she pulled hard against the rope, lifting herself out of the way, and used the piece of jutting out wall to jump higher towards the top. She ducked the next one and used her arms to lift herself up and over it. And within a few more moves she was at the finish.

Only Evans took another hit, but all four made it to the top eventually.

Grace shook her head. She couldn’t think clearly, and she was having trouble reading her RD. Her chest hurt where she took that first blow and she thought that perhaps she’d broken a rib.

Torez dropped over the side of the wall first, and Grace, instinctually tipped herself over and went after her.

They both landed safely because of the inbuilt slow rappel function in their harnesses, but as soon as they touched ground, they went to their hands and knees.

Marshall and Evan joined them quickly, disengaging from their harnesses and falling to the ground, trying to take in air.

This is what the training session was about. A quick look at the monitors told Evelyn and Dani that all four were in various stages of crashing.

Dani immediately went down to the arena and spoke loudly to her soldiers “Don’t fight it” Dani said sternly to the group of struggling Augments.

“Your bodies are designed with heightened metabolisms. You burn through energy more quickly than others”

Each soldier had now dropped to the floor. Dani paid particular attention to Grace who was trying to stand back up _‘always stubborn, always trying’_

“Pay attention to your RD’s, what are they telling you? What’s your oxygen saturation? What’s your electrolyte balance? What’s your glucose reading? How close are you to seizing?”

“Marshall! Oxygen?” She commanded.

He squinted and replied “60% Commander”

“Good, low but not fatal”

“Harper! Glucose?”

Grace could barely concentrate, but she called the information to her retinal display.

“3 Commander”

The Commander nodded. “okay, so you’re about to go into shock, your bodies are building up Co2, you’re becoming dizzy, unable to control your muscles, your temperatures are spiking’

“Evans! Temp”

“105” he panted.

“Okay, so now you’re about to start seizing. Your bodies will begin to convulse, you’ll lose consciousness, and you’ll die”

She paused.

“What do you do soldiers?”

“Commander, they’re all in level 4” Evelyn’s calm voice in her earpiece informed her. Level 4 was serious, but recoverable, Level 5 was critical as the augments lost all motor function, still recoverable but more dangerous, Level 6 was essentially fatal”

The Commander raised her arm and medics entered the training arena with medical coolers.

“you cool yourselves down! You drink water, something sweet if you can, something with electrolytes even better, you find ice”

The Augments opened the coolers and opened the water bottles contained within, they scooped up the ice and placed it on various parts of their bodies.

Dani surreptitiously watched Grace whose medic training helped her locate the most effective areas for the ice.

“Your armpits, your groin, the back of your necks!” Dani spoke clearly. You need to cool yourselves down quickly.

All of a sudden, an image of a prone Grace laying on a dirty hotel room filled Dani’s mind. Sarah had known to tip ice on top of her to cool her body down, Dani didn’t know what she knew now, and Grace would have surely died if Sarah hadn’t been there

“Dani, they need meds now” Evelyn’s voice again spoke calmly in her ear.

Dani cleared her head and continued.

“But all of this means nothing if you aren’t carrying your med-gun” again she raised her hand, and the four medics pulled out the med guns from their packs.

“Take the gun”

She watched the four Augments fumble with the device. They were all is serious distress, but Dani had been through this several times.

Evans and Marshall tipped forward and passed out before they could figure out their med-guns.

“Get the med cartridge from the base of the clip” she spoke evenly to the two remaining Augments.

Grace’s RD was flashing a critical warning to her, she was terrified, she couldn’t breathe properly, she was losing sight, and her body wouldn’t respond to her commands like it should.

“Soldiers!” Dani shouted.

And Grace snapped back to the present, looking up at the Commander.

The third soldier, Torez, tipped forward unconscious to the ground.

“Load the med cartridge into the chamber” Dani spoke evenly directly to Grace. The three unconscious Augments were being administered to by the medics present.

“Take a breath” Dani spoke quietly directly to Grace.

Grace pulled the small glass vial out of the base of the gun and managed to slot it into the open chamber.

“Inject it IM” she said calmly.

Grace immediately pointed the gun to her thigh and pulled the trigger, sending the cocktail of drugs into her body. A second later she blacked out.

Dani straightened up. She was impressed. Usually the first “Crash” demonstration let to mass panic, and all Augments on the ground before they managed to pick up their med-guns, some even before they’d completed the obstacle course.

This time, they'd all completed the course, only two had blacked out initially, the third just before being able to self-inject, and Grace, just after. 

_‘Of course’_ Dani had known Grace would excel at Augment training. She let a smile play on her lips and all four Augments started to come around after 5 or 10 minutes.

“At attention soldiers!” She commanded.

All four shot to their feet. Marshall bent over and vomited but quickly recovered and stood at attention.

All four were flushed, and clearly still disoriented, but they all managed to keep to their feet and await command.

Grace was panting and Dani noticed a slight tremor in her legs, her gaze was unfocused as she took in the information on her RD.

“And that is what we call crashing” Dani said in a very matter-of-fact tone.

“It felt like dying” Torez panted

“Essentially it is” All four Augments paid attention. “Your bodies are tuned for short sharp combat. You either stop a terminator in the first few minutes, you retreat, or you die” She recalled Grace saying similar words to her many years ago.

“Your med-guns are to remain with you, fully stocked, at all times” She looked at each soldier in the eye “Am I understood”

“Yes Commander!” came the reply from all four.

“okay, now you’re all probably injured, hungry and thirsty. I want you to go to the med bay first, then go to the mess and then get some rest. Be back here at oh-six-hundred tomorrow”

All four Augments relaxed and moved to the exit. Dani pulled Grace aside.

“You did well today Sergeant”

“I passed out Commander” she said in a defeated tone.

“You all passed out Sergeant” Dani smirked. “That’s the point of this training. For you to know what a real crash feels like."

Grace nodded but didn’t say anything.

“If we were out in the field, you would likely have been the only chance the rest had. You managed to self-inject which mean you would have come around quickly, and been able to administer meds to the others” she caught Grace’s eyes and spoke with sincerity “That’s no small thing Sergeant”

“Yes Ma’am” Grace replied with a little more light in her voice. She hadn’t thought of that scenario.

“Now go get some food and rest”

At the mention of food Grace’s stomach growled and they both laughed, exiting the training arena to head to the mess.

“But first see the Med team” Dani called out with a smile

Grace groaned but headed to Med bay first.

***

Dani opted as usual to sit with Evelyn and Hadrell when she stacked her tray. She would have liked to remain with Grace and the new Augments, but knew it was important for them to bond as a team.

Dani watched as the mess hall reacted to the presence of the new Augments as they filtered into the dining area.

Grace had always stood out; her height and physical stature made her hard to miss in any crowd. The mop of unruly blonde hair, even more so. Dani grinned. But now, as an Augment, she carried a different air about her. Not only was she physically stronger, she stood straighter, held her head higher, took in more with her eyes. And the stark white scars along her exposed arms, neck and face were like a badge of honour for her and her team.

The mess hall quietened as they watched the new Augments join the far table where the Augments ate. The Spec Ops table. Hadrell’s table. Although he rarely sat with them.

Dani tracked Grace as she sat next to Torez and they began an engrossing conversation all the while shovelling food into their mouths.

Dani smiled as she remembered the Grace of 20 years ago. Overjoyed at having ‘real’ food again. Taking any opportunity to inhale whatever was on offer. Now she knew this was also a part of the metabolic requirements of an Augment. Most carried rations on them, but Grace ate what she could when she could, usually with much gusto.

Dani thought back. Grace was sent back in time naked, allowed to carry nothing inorganic with her, which meant no field rations and no med-gun. She swallowed as she thought of Grace, landing naked in the middle of Mexico City somewhere.

“Dani” Evelyn enquired with a slight smile. She’d watched her friend watch the tall Augment since she sat down, and she’d had a suspicion for years that Dani’s attention was more than those of a Commander to her soldier.

“Hmmm” Dani replied absently while playing with her food.

“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Evelyn took a guess

Dani blushed and broke her gaze. Evelyn and Hadrell locked eyes and smiled. It wasn’t often that the Commander was anything less than ‘The Commander’ in public, but when it happened, they felt privileged to witness it.

“Uhhh” Dani stuttered.

“She did save your life Commander” Hadrell quipped

“And she is definitely your type, oui?” Evelyn joined “Tall, blonde, accomplished …”

“Enough!” Dani said through clenched teeth, her face a few shades redder. Her dining companions immediately went back to eating, albeit with grins on their faces.

****

The next training day was all about getting the Augments used to properly manipulating their microprocessors and operating their RD’s.

To use their retinal display and their neural links to their micro-processors to help them interpret or relay information to their augments until it became second nature. They utilised the arena for low light, no light scenarios so they could practice with night vision, Xray and infra-red and they used automated replications of Rev-7’s to teach the Augments to use their predictive vision. 

Predictive vis basically slowed down an opponent’s movements and tracked their trajectory. The swing of an arm, the lifting of a gun, the lunge of a knife. It would all be tracked and mapped out for the Augments to react to before their opponent had actually completed their intended act. Predictive vis also allowed each Augment to judge distance, speed and trajectory for their own movements. How far they’d need to jump to land where they needed to be, when they’d need to move to get to a particular position at a particular time etc.

One of the most important functions of the Augment RD however, was its’ ability to monitor their vitals in real time. It could display everything from BP, pulse, temp, blood glucose, PCo2, to hormone output, and energy supply levels. It would alert them to injuries or any biochemical anomaly, it would tell them when a crash was imminent so they could self-administer their meds before it happened.

Their RD’s could also, to an extent, read the vitals of anyone they looked at. Simple stats such as temp, pulse, respiratory rate, and any trace of medical trauma, blood loss, or decline in electrical output.

The latter being invaluable when it came to fighting Rev’s as it was their energy sources and microprocessors that were their hearts and brains, and therefore their targets. When an Augment engaged with a Rev, they watched for a cessation in energy output which essentially signalled death, or termination as the RD would display it.

The trick with the Augments RD was to get them to not fully rely on it. To teach them to modify it so that it sat in the background unless called upon. Real time vision, and instinct were just as valuable as all the optical mods their RD’s could display. And sometimes, gut instinct would go against what their RD was telling them, and they would have to learn when to listen to it, and when to listen to their guts.

Dani watched from the observation room as the four new Augments practiced using their RD. Each Augment’s personal RD was displayed on a separate screen on the wall.

Of the four, Evans was quicker to switch displays to his needs, faster at using IR and night vision. But Grace’s RD was elegant. Not as tactile as Marshalls, or as simplistic as Torez.

Grace had managed to compartmentalise all her displays so that they ran simultaneously but, in her periphery, almost circling the edges of her natural vision, not in the way, but instantly accessible. She could call on any of them to enlarge and take over the display at any given moment and having all of them functioning at once allowed her to occasionally access information she may not have known she needed.

Dani smiled. It was exactly what she would have done had she had the modification herself. And now she knew why the Grace of 20 years ago always appeared to be casually scanning.

Because she was.

Switching from IR, to Night vis, to zoom, to predictive vis all in smooth transitions. Able to read the actions of everyone around her, able to read Dani’s vitals, Sara’s too. Able to predict the Rev-9’s movements before he made them, and able to tell when her own vitals were so critical that sacrificing her own power source would have been the only viable option left to save them.

While the other three Augments appeared to use their RD’s as additional tactical weapons, Grace had quickly learned to integrate hers as a part of her extended self. All in one day.

Dani was impressed.

Evelyn, sitting at the other side of the control room, noticed Dani’s interest in Grace’s display. She too had to admire the simple elegance of what the tall blonde Augment had been able to achieve in one day.

***

“My head feels like it’s going to crack open” Grace cringed and threw up into the sick bag that the medic had provided.

“Grace, lay back so we can run some tests” the medic asked gently.

Grace was shaking and pale and in obvious pain but complied.

She started feeling unwell after the RD training earlier that day. She managed to get some food down but put herself to bed not long afterwards.

She woke with a migraine level headache and had to ask Torez to help her to the med bay.

“What’s wrong with her?” came the Commanders concerned voice from the doorway. Torez had alerted Hadrell who in turn had alerted Dani.

It wasn’t uncommon for the augmentation program to lose recruits in training as the demands of their augmented bodies took their toll. But, Dani didn’t believe this was the case with Grace. She was young, and healthy, and seemed to be coping with the demands of training so far.

“We’re running tests now Commander, but she has an unexplained increase in her vasopressin levels”

“So that’s why my PB is 150/125 and why my head feels like there’s a jackhammer in it” Grace grimaced.

“English please” The Commander said.

“The part of the Sergeant’s brain, her hypothalamus, that keeps her basic life functions regulated, her blood pressure, her temperature, heart rate etc. Basically, it looks like it may have misfired somehow and caused a surge in a chemical which is usually only released in high stress situations, or during high blood loss. It increases the body’s blood pressure via kidney function”

“Ok, so what does this mean for Gr … Sergeant Harper?” Dani asked.

“We’ll give her IV fluids, bring her PB down with medication, which will hopefully also help the headache, and monitor her for the next 24 hours”

“24 hours!” Grace shot up in her bed. There was no way she was going to miss a day of training because her brain misfired! “No, absolutely not” she shook her head then decided that was a bad idea.

“Sergeant, you will stay here for as long as they see fit” Dani looked Grace sternly in the eyes. “Is that clear?”

“Yes ma’am” Grace said meekly. To be honest, she just wanted to curl up into a ball and pass out.

Dani nodded at the medic and left the med bay. She waked quickly up to the Augment training facility and found Evelyn.

“Now before you get worked up” Evelyn raised her hands and prepared for an argument.

“I just want to know how it happened Eve” Dani sighed. She didn’t like seeing Grace so weak and vulnerable especially when the reason was unseen.

“We think that she may have overworked her microprocessor during training today”

Dani frowned.

Evelyn continued “The work she did on her RD today was impressive, you saw that” Dani nodded. “It’s unusual for an Augment to catch onto their neural capabilities so quickly, so it’s possible that she either made too many new pathways too quickly, or fired off too many neurotransmitters in too short a time which caused the imbalance sensed by her hypothalamus. She wasn’t experiencing a drop in BP, nor was she experiencing blood loss, but potentially one of the new pathways she created mimicked this for just long enough for her kidneys to react and her blood pressure to spike.”

“She could have stroked out” Dani breathed. Suddenly understanding the effects of what Grace had put her brain through.

“But she didn’t” Evelyn put a reassuring arm on her shoulder.

Dani nodded, and watched the monitor showing Grace’s vitals. Her PB was slowly returning to normal. And her resp rate and pulse indicated that Grace was sleeping.

“you care for her? Oui?” Evelyn stated simply.

Dani breathed out a long breath and sank down into the closest chair. Pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to release the headache that had built up over the day.

Evelyn took a seat and placed a gentle hand on Dani's thigh, concerned for her friend.

Dani and Evelyn had had an ongoing casual affair which began not long after judgement day but they had decided to pursue a friendship with occasional benefits rather than a long-term relationship. Evelyn was an MIT engineer and computer scientist before the war, and had become one of Dani’s closest confidants, and one of the Resistance's most underrated weapons over the years. She had overseen the Augmentation program and weapons development divisions, and for Dani, importantly, she also played a part in keeping her friends’ confidence, providing friendship in a world where they were few and short lived.

Evelyn was also one of the few remaining Resistance members to have met Sarah Connor when she was still with Dani. She knew the battle-hardened older woman had imparted a lifetime of knowledge and also many years-worth of maternal care which they had both missed and needed so desperately.

Sarah was a warrior and was Dani’s first mentor. And when Sarah started to succumb to the cancer that had riddled her body for years, Evelyn had helped Dani care for her. Had sat with Sarah as she told stories of Skynet, of her son John, of the T800, and T1000’s that were so similar to Legions’. She was also there in quiet moments when Sarah spoke with Dani of a protector named Grace, who had saved them both many years ago. She saw the sadness in Dani’s eyes whenever this Grace person was mentioned, and she saw the regret in Sarah’s.

Evelyn had never asked questions about who Grace had been to Dani, but over the last several years, a seed had been planted when she learned of Legions work on a time distortion device, a seed that kept growing and getting fed every time she saw Dani with Sergeant Harper.

“Merde!” Evelyn whispered “It’s her isn’t it?” 

Dani looked up with tears in her eyes. She felt relief wash over her, knowing that somebody finally knew the secret she had carried for so long.

Dani nodded and wiped away her tears “But, I won’t let her die for me this time Eve. I can’t”

Evelyn nodded in understanding.

If the Grace from the past, was actually the Grace from now, how would they change fate. She shook her head. Time travel theory always made her head spin.

Of course, the Grace from now was not the Grace from 20 years ago. This Grace and this Dani were existing in a completely different timeline to the previous, future, Dani and Grace. But timelines could still run parallel, could be near identical if not for the butterfly effect of different choices made or directions taken.

She, along with all the top Resistance officers knew that Legion had been working on a time distortion chamber, so Dani’s fear, and Grace’s reappearance in her life were obviously signs that perhaps Legion was close to finishing.

“When did _your_ Grace come from” Evelyn asked

Dani smiled. Always trust Evelyn to be pragmatic and scientific. “2042”

“Okay, so that’s still a couple years away. Was your Grace an Augment?”

Dani nodded

“Were you Commander”

Another nod

“Okay, well, we just have to try and figure out what differences there are between that timeline and this one, and how we can make them diverge further. But importantly, we need to put more focus into neutralising Legion’s progress on their Time Distortion device”

Dani smiled a weary smile. She got up and hugged her friend fiercely. The hug was returned just as fiercely.

“Gracias mi amiga” Dani spoke through the hug. “you have no idea how good it feels knowing that somebody else knows”

Evelyn pulled back and looked her friend in the eye. “Dani. Did you and that Grace …” she hesitated.

“I loved her” Dani said simply.

“Okay” she paused “And This Grace, Sergeant Harper?”

Dani rubbed her temples and slouched back onto the chair but didn’t answer.

“Oh” Evelyn nodded “Okay. Well, that’s difficult”

“You have no idea my friend” Dani sighed. “Apparently in her timeline we were together, and I sent her back, or she volunteered, or both, I don’t know. But we were together, I felt that when she spoke about her and the other Dani” She signed sadly “So if I don’t let us be together in this timeline, surely that changes things somehow?”

“Dani, we have no way of knowing the effect that things like this have on timelines. Of course it will change the course of the timeline, but we don’t know if it would be for the better” Evelyn countered.

Dani nodded and took a deep breath. “I just can’t put Grace in a position where she follows a Rev-9 back to Mexico City in 2020 to protect me”

“Specific” Evelyn commented and Dani laughed “But specific is good! We know that if we stop the time travel event, then neither Legion nor Grace can jump. We also know that Legion only produced around 10-15 Rev-9’s, so we could also focus our efforts on neutralising as many of them as possible”

“How do we know how many they produced?” Dani asked quickly, not having been aware of this until now.

“The mineral that legion has been mining is what we believe they are using to make a new liquid metal synthetic skin. The mineral is rare, and we believe they’ll only be able to mine enough to synthesize the equivalent of 10-15 human sized Terminators”

Dani blinked “How? Why don’t I know this?”

“We only just did the math. It was going to be in tomorrows briefing Dani” She said reassuringly. “So, we know approximately how many Rev-9’s we need to be able kill, and we know that we need to find and destroy the TD device. Two primary goals for the next couple years” She smiled again at her friend, trying to lessen her anxiety. 

Dani grasped her friends’ forearm and squeezed it “Thank you Evelyn. I’ve been trying to direct our campaigns towards the same purpose, but I couldn’t divulge why. It feels good to know that you know”

“Of course” Evelyn smiled at her friend. We’ll figure this out. We have two years, at least, right?

Dani nodded.

“Okay, so for now our efforts need to go into training the Augments to the best of their abilities so that we can neutralise the TD device, and as many Rev-9’s as possible”

Again, Dani nodded

Evelyn gently grasped Grace’s arm. “But Dani. Grace is an Augment now. She’s a soldier, and she’s likely going to be a part of Hadrell’s Spec Ops team” She watched her friends face fall and knew that she knew what was coming “She’s going to be placed in harm’s way essentially every day between now and 2042. Hell, we don’t know if she’ll even live until 2042!” Dani’s eyes flashed but Evelyn continued “You can’t protect her, you can’t show her special treatment, you can’t deny her missions” Dani rose and started pacing.

“I didn’t even fucking want her to become an Augment in the first place!” She yelled angrily.

“Okay, but you were unconscious, and she was dying. She had every right to choose” Evelyn countered evenly.

Dani swore under her breath in Spanish and Evelyn couldn’t understand it but smiled at her angry friend.

“Dani. You are the Commander. This is a war. Hadrell’s team is our most lethal and most effective weapon in this war, and Grace is now a part of that team”

Dani stopped pacing.

“You can’t stop her from being a soldier Dani” Dani’s eyes saddened again “But you can tell her how you feel”

“I feel like if I do, it’ll consume me Eve, it’ll consume us, it’ll change the way I see the world, this war” She said with a hint of trepidation.

“love does that my friend”

Dani blew out a deep breath and left the observation room, heading to her office and the bottle of tequila under the desk.

***

The next few months, as the augments healed, and received new implants, Dani was a constant presence around them. Nobody gave it a second though however as the Commander always tried to be a presence in all of their lives. As much as she could she shared her time, she shared meals, conversations and down time.

But Grace had noticed that Dani would often gravitate toward her at the end of a training session to see how she was feeling, to ask on her progress, sometimes, she’d even sit down with the Augments in the mess and join in on their conversations.

Grace found herself constantly distracted by the Commander’s presence. And if she were honest, she knew she was head of heels for older woman, had idolised her since she was 17. But as she had developed, had relationships with other people, she had found that the Commander played a pretty constant role in her nightly fantasies.

So, having the real Commander so close to her every day was both unsettling, and made her fantasies all the more vivid. She knew she needed to blow off some steam with a real person, and since the Commander had already made it abundantly clear the last time that she wasn’t interested, her thoughts turned to Torez.

The soldier had been paying her attention since they first started training, even more so since she’d helped Grace to the infirmary when she had become ill. She had to admit that the dark woman was intensely attractive, and a clear physical match for her. Grace smirked, wondering if sex between augment’s was different that sex with a ‘normal’ human. _‘guess I’m going to find out soon’_ she smirked.

Grace had never formed attachments. Oatmeal, her cat, was her longest relationship and even he sometimes went days without seeing her.

Sex was easy for her. It was functional. And she never had problems finding women to take to bed. But she never stayed longer than a night or two, and always made that clear from the beginning so as not to make things complicated out in the real world.

So today, she decided that she was going to zero in on Torez and see if she was amenable to a rendezvous. She just hadn’t planned on having the Commander sit next to her at mess. Nor had she planned on having Torez sit on her other side.

 _‘Fuck me’_ She groaned internally. Then giggled as the words sunk in.

“Sergeant?” the Commander queried at Grace’s sudden burst of laughter.

“Oh, sorry, nothing Commander” She cleared her throat and picked up the apple on her tray.

“So, what are your plans tonight Torez?” Grace asked innocently “Wanna maybe spot me in the gym or shoot some hoops?”

Torez, who had been angling for some alone time with the gorgeous Sergeant, jumped at the opportunity. “Sure Harper, what time were you thinking?” She tried to remain nonchalant.

Grace grinned inwardly. “how about twenty hundred? The gym is usually pretty empty around then”

Torez nodded eagerly and smiled as she finished her meal.

Grace smiled too as she chomped on her apple.

Dani however was less than happy and stewed silently. She knew where she was going to be at 8pm tonight.

The rest of the day passed quickly. The Augments busy in training, Dani busy in high level briefings.

But Dani had to admit that she was distracted more than a few times by images of Grace and Torez together. Grace’s tall muscular physique matching near perfectly with Torez. She imagined Torez’s ebony skin wrapped around Grace’s milky skin, pushing against Grace’s lean frame, their sweaty bodies intertwined in some way in some form in her mind’s eye during various times through the day.

For her part, Grace was having similar images but without fail, every time she imagined herself with Torez, some part of the fantasy turned to the Commander. Either she’d find that Torez had suddenly been replaced by the Commander, or that the Commander walked in on them together. To be honest, those fantasies aroused Grace more than she’d been in a while, so when 8pm came, she bounded off to the gym, ready to release some tension.

She opened the door to the gym and stopped dead in her tracks ‘ _Fuck me sideways’_ She could barely believe her eyes.

Torez, stood near the rack of free weights. Short shorts showing sleek long legs, the dark woman beautiful as all hell, and obviously happy to see her.

And right next to her, The Commander, in equally short shorts and a tight tank. Showing that despite their close to ten-year age difference, the Commander still kept in shape _‘Damn fine shape’_ her brain corrected. She remembered the last time she’d been in the gym with the Commander and couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Dani broke Grace's inner musing “Oh Sergeant, I was just talking to Torez here about possibly making a semi regular work out roster. Evelyn is my usual spotter, but she’s recently become too busy to make it most days”.

“Oh” Grace acknowledged not knowing what to say.

“Yeah, but I told the Commander that tonight I was spotting you” Torez chimed in

“Oh” Grace replied again.

“So perhaps we can all workout together tonight, and then maybe one of you wouldn’t mind being my spotter on a semi regular basis” Dani followed.

Grace’s brain was a little overloaded. The woman she hoped to have sex with tonight, was standing with the woman she fantasised about having sex with most nights, and now they were all going to work out together? _‘how about we just have a pillow fight and fuck’_ her testosterone driven brain chimed in.

“Yeah sure Commander” Grace gathered herself and scratched the back of her neck. “I’d be happy to help, as would Torez I’m sure”. She smiled at them both.

“Okay great” Dani smiled sweetly. “Well, since you two had already organised a gym date, I might just go use the treadmill and get my cardio out of the way for the day”

Grace watched her walk over to the machine. Noticing how good her ass looked in her workout shorts.

“So, Grace” Torez chimed in. “Bench or squats?”

Grace came back to the conversation and decided to focus on her initial plan to seduce the dark soldier into her bed. Her libido was certainly making itself known at this moment.

“Bench” She said decidedly. Not knowing what her legs would do under strain.

Together they moved to the weight bench and loaded it with 500 pounds.

Dani who had been watching during her warm-up was immediately impressed. But made sure to be inconspicuous with her observations.

The two Augments soon lost themselves in a competition fuelled by bravado and undeniable sexual tension.

They had each done three sets of 10 reps of the 500lb press, and both were glistening with sweat.

“More?” Grace panted slightly

“I can if you can” Torez quipped and Grace deftly added another hundred pounds to the press.

And again, both women completed two sets at the higher weight.

Dani found herself paying attention to the way Grace’s powerful shoulders strained under the weight. How her abdomen flexed to stabilise herself, and how the veins on the side of her neck, and her forearms stood out with each press, and how her nipples stood out starkly under her tight tank top. She increased the speed on the treadmill, feeling a surge of energy run through her.

Grace waited for her breathing to return to normal and then with a twinkle in her eyes said “Max rep?” meaning that each woman would load the bar with what they thought was their maximum capacity.

Torez grinned “I’m game”

Dani watched in awe as Torez loaded 900lb and ducked under the bar. Squaring herself to begin.

“Come on Torez. You got this” Dani yelled out from across the room, encouraging the young augment.

Grace looked up and had actually forgotten the Commander was there. But as soon as she saw her, she regretted looking. The Commander was covered in a sheen of sweat, her face was flushed, and her breasts, although restrained in a sports bra, still managed to move in such a way that made Grace forget where she was. She heard Torez grunt and immediately snapped back to what she was doing. If the bar fell at the wrong angle, it had enough weight on it to possibly kill Torez. Grace took a cleansing breath and focused on her task.

Torez grunted and strained but eventually managed to extend the bar out fully. Grace assisted her to stack it back on the stand and the two high-fived each other.

“Fucking A” Grace congratulated Torez.

“What you got Harper” Torez taunted.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Grace loaded another 200lb to the bar which took the total 1100lb. Definitely not the Augment record which Captain Hadrell held at 1500lb, but close enough considering Grace was only considered a ‘new’ Augment.

Dani stopped her treadmill and moved over to the weight bench.

“Grace” she queried quietly. “Are you sure you should try that much?” She’d never really watched the Augments work out, but the leader board was hung up on the wall for everyone to see, so she knew that Grace was attempting a weight that not many others could.

Grace shrugged her shoulders casually “Won’t know until I try, right Commander?” she grinned and ducked her head under the bar.

Her RD quickly flashed her stats and she knew she was treading a fine line with the energy she’d already put out. But Torez was there, as was Dani. She wasn’t going to back down. 

She braced herself, tightened her core, planted her feet, got a good grip of the bar and began pushing.

Both Dani and Torez watched in silent awe as Grace slowly but deftly pushed the bar to its’ full extension with a long groaned exhalation.

Torez helped Grace lower it back to the stand but when Grace didn’t immediately sit up Dani instantly knew something was wrong. Grace’s face was sweaty and red and the bio-mesh was showing through her skin. Her breathing was verging on hyperventilation.

“She’s crashing!” Dani yelled. “Do you have your meds?” She asked both women. Torez swore and sprinted out of the gym.

Dani squatted next to the bench and helped Grace drink from her water bottle.

“It’s okay Grace, just try to breath evenly” She spoke calmly to the prostrate blonde.

“easy” she gasped “for” she swallowed “you” she gasped again “to say” she finished and grinned

Dani grinned back despite the seriousness of the situation.

Torez burst back into the gym, a med-gun in her hands. She immediately depressed device into Grace’s thigh, and almost immediately Grace’s breathing returned to normal.

“Pendejo!!” Torez berated herself, dropping to the floor next to the bench in a heap.

“Calmate” Dani spoke gently to Torez and grasped her shoulder. “You did good soldier” she looked at them both. “but next time, please keep your med-guns with you”

“Si” Torez nodded “Si, lo siento Comandante” she lowered her head.

“Torez” Dani crouched down and looked at the dark sweaty augment “Ella estara bien. Ok?”

Torez nodded and smiled slightly.

Grace, her head still fuzzy from the crash, hadn’t followed the conversation completely, but it was obvious that Torez was blaming herself for the lack of the med-gun and for her crash, and the Commander was comforting her.

“Oh man” Grace said as she raised herself into a sitting position “anyone feel like another 100?” she laughed and the two women by her side laughed back. The mood had been successfully lightened, and Dani knew it was time for her to leave the two women alone.

“Buenas noches chicas!” Dani rose and walked out of the room.

“Fuck!” Torez exclaimed.

“Hey, this wasn’t your fault. I decided to push a stupid amount of weigh after already pushing a stupid amount of weight, AND I didn’t have my med-gun with me” she grasped Torez chin and made her make eye contact. “This wasn’t your fault okay Torez”

“Alicia” the darker woman replied with a slight smile. “My name is Alicia”

“Alicia” Grace murmured. “I like how that sounds” she winked. And stood up, bringing the dark woman with her.

She strode over to the Augment leader board and made sure to amend it with both Alicia’s and her new weights.

“Pretty proud of yourself aren’t you” Alicia quipped

“Yep” Grace grinned and turned to face Alicia. In that moment she knew she wanted to kiss the beautiful woman in front of her but hesitated for a second.

Alicia saw the look, saw the hesitation, and took the lead. She moved in close to Grace and wrapped her long arms around Grace’s shoulders, bringing her in closer. She lowered her mouth to Grace’s and kissed her deeply. The two let the kiss go on as they let their hands roam. When Grace found Alicia’s breasts and felt the woman’s hips twitch, she pulled back momentarily.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while” she grinned

Alicia smiled shyly and nodded “probably not as long as I have” she admitted.

Grace sobered and led Alicia back to the bench where they sat down.

“Alicia, I need you to know upfront that I don’t do relationships” Alicia made to speak, but Grace placed a hand on her cheek to stop her.

“I am incredibly attracted to you, and I want to make love to you, if you want that too. But I need you to know that I can’t promise you more than that”

Alicia remained silent for a moment then looked up at Grace. “I guess that’s as much as any of us can promise the other isn’t it?” she smiled. “Thank you for being honest. I’d be lying if I said all I wanted from you was sex, but if we can have a friendship and sex, then I guess that can be enough” she quirked an eyebrow.

“Sex and a friendship” Grace smiled and held out her hand to seal the deal.

“My turn for a truth” Alicia whispered as she kissed Grace who pulled back slightly a quirked a brow. “I’m a transwoman” Alicia said clearly and proudly but with a slight tremor in her hands. Waiting to see how Grace would react.

Grace simply smiled and answered honestly “Alicia, that doesn’t affect my attraction toward you” she kissed the tall soldier again, trying to convey the honestly of her feeling.

“I just need you to promise me that you’ll tell me what you like and what you don’t, okay?” Grace quirked an eyebrow “This is new for me, but I still want to make love to you” she smiled honestly and again kissed Alicia deeply.

“Deal” Alicia whispered back.

“Deal” Grace breathed into Alicia’s neck as she placed small kisses along its’ length.

Alicia decided to seal the deal with a kiss of her own, and another, until the two of them were writhing on the floor of the gym, clothes still on, hands down each other’s pants, bringing quick relief to each other after what had could have been a tense situation.

Grace rolled off Alicia and caught her breath. Alicia looked over at Grace and smiled shyly.

“I hope you don’t think that’s all I have in me” Alicia quipped.

Grace smiled “Oh honey” she rolled back on top of Alicia. “Just wait until I get you into the shower. I’ve been wanting to test out this new augment body, and who better to test it with?’ She grinned and pulled Alicia off the floor and into the showers.

***

Dani had waited in her office for what seemed an acceptable amount of time before returning to the Gym to collect her forgotten gym bag and water bottle. She knew the risk, but went back anyway, and was pleasantly surprised to find it empty, but still containing the two Augment’s gym bags. That’s when she heard a noise from the shower, it sounded like a shout of pain and immediately Dani strode through the entry to the showers and stood mouth agape at the sight before her.

Grace and Torez were under the shower, both soaking wet. Grace had Torez pressed hard up against the shower wall, Grace had her back to Dani and Torez had her head thrown back and her eyes closed.

Grace had lifted Torez to encircle her waist and had pressed their naked bodies tightly together. Her back strained and her ass clenched as she stroked her fingers quickly against Torez. Grace’s other hand was wrapped up in Torez long dark curls, pulling her head back and exposing her long neck.

Torez long fingers dug into the strong muscles of Grace’s back, pulling her impossibly closer.

It was probably the most erotic thing Dani had ever seen, and she was both spellbound and mortified at having walked in on the women.

“Ugh Fuck” Torez moaned.

“Alicia” Grace breathed heavily as she continued her ministrations.

Dani spun on her heels and exited the shower stalls and the gym, leaving her bag and bottle exactly where they had been when she entered. Her pulse was racing and her stomach was tight with arousal. She needed to find somebody to extinguish the fire and seeing as the subject of her arousal was busy pleasuring another woman, she decided to go pay Evelyn a visit.

She and the tall scientist and been casual lovers for years. They joked that they were fuck buddies, but they were more than that, so, they tried to keep their sexual encounters spaced out and irregular.

She made it up to the Augment observation room, which is where she knew she’d find her friend, she walked through the doors, and locked them behind her.

As soon as Evelyn saw Dani, she knew what she was there for, and despite being elbow deep in fascinating research, she could never deny Dani when she came to her like this.

Dani wordlessly took off her clothes and Evelyn did the same. They came together with a heated kiss, and Evelyn felt a sense of urgency not usually present in her friend. She pulled back and cupped Dani’s face.

“Dani, is everything okay”

Dani nodded but couldn’t speak. The image of Grace’s broad muscled back moving sinuously, of her ass clenching as her hips moved in time with the strokes of her fingers. God just the thought of it almost made her come.

“I need to come” she answered honestly.

Evelyn nodded sweetly, and lowered Dani into the sofa at the end of the room. She quickly spread Dani’s legs and lowed herself onto the floor in front of the Commander. Dani rested her head back against the sofa and raised her arms above her head so she could grasp the back of the sofa.

Evelyn loved to watch Dani come, so as she dipped her mouth onto Dani’s hot centre, she kept her eyes on the Commanders face, watched it change, watched it flush, she reached up and squeezed one of Dani’s nipples harshly and Dani arched against the sofa.

“I’m close” Dani panted,

Evelyn smiled; she knew the signs all too well. She sucked Dani’s clit hard into her mouth, roughly stroking it with her tongue. As soon as Dani’s mouth opened with the first tremble of orgasm, Evelyn inserted two fingers inside Dani’s centre and pumped them quickly sending Dani over the edge.

“uuuughhh” Dani incoherently rode out the orgasm, and quietly settled back onto the sofa, sated but still a little wound up.

Evelyn joined her on the sofa and the two of them laughed. Neither having planned their evenings to end like this but glad they had.

Dani leant forward and kissed Evelyn, pushing her back along the sofa and sliding her body on top of her friends.

“May I?” Dani asked

“By all means” Evelyn smiled, her hazel eyes bright with desire. She immediately gasped as Dani’s fingers found her own hot centre and began stroking through her folds.

Evelyn reached back down and found Dani’s slick clit and reciprocated.

The remained locked together on the sofa, kissing lips, necks, and jaws, until Evelyn’s legs trembled and tightened against Dani’s hips. Dani quickened her pace and bit down on the tender pulse point on Evelyn’s neck, sending her over the edge into orgasm. Dani quickly pulled the doctors’ arms above her head and straddled one of her long legs as she brought herself to another quick climax. She dropped onto the beautiful woman below her and they both caught their breath.

Evelyn stroked her friends head and her strong back, enjoying the feel of Dani’s weight on top of her but after a few long minutes the chill of the room finally pushed them into putting their clothes back on.

There was never a sense of embarrassment or a need for explanation when it came to their sexual arrangement. But this time Evelyn dared to ask her friend a question.

“Dani, would this have something to do with a certain tall blonde gorgeous Augment we both know?”

“Shut up Evelyn” Dani smirked and finished pulling her pants up.

Evelyn laughed “oh, mon cheri” and hugged her friend. “I hope you figure out what to do about her” She kissed the crown of Dani’s head, and unlocked the door to the observation room. Letting Dani leave without feeling the need to reply or explain.

It was truly what no-strings-attached meant, but if she were honest with herself, Evelyn knew that she loved Dani, she just knew, pragmatically, that Dani and her would never work in a long term relationship. So a deep friendship with occasional sex was what Evelyn happily accepted, and so far that relationship had lasted almost the entirety of the war, longer than any relationship she’d ever had. She smiled happily to herself as she returned to her research. 

***

Grace continued to see Alicia almost every night, and it was obvious to Dani that they were together in some way. So, she decided that she would try her best to focus on a friendship with Grace.

They didn’t need to be lovers, Dani would tell herself. In fact, all things considered, it would probably be easier for them both if all they were was friends. So, she made a promise to herself that she would try and be a good friend to Grace, and nothing more.

The next week, Grace met Dani in the gym as agreed, and despite casual admiration of each other’s form or physique they managed to keep their sessions tension free and full of light banter about favourite foods, which Dani found out was cake for Grace, chocolate cake with sprinkles to be exact, and her grandmothers Tamales for Dani.

Dani found out that Grace had adopted a stray cat when she was about 20 and named him Oatmeal as it happened to be what she was eating when he sauntered up to her asking to share food with a demanding headbutt. He was short haired, a mix of grey, white and black. He was old and he was definitely the boss of his mistress.

Dani soon met and fell in love with Oatmeal, but discovered that his affection, even for his mistress, was fickle at best. Still, Dani would sneak a tin of tuna, or a slice of chicken from the mess when she was able to, which Grace found completely endearing. Dani was the only other person she’d seen Oatmeal snuggle up to, and she found that this made her immensely happy.

In fact, over time, Dani was the only person Grace entrusted Oatmeal to when she had to leave on recon missions or training exercise.

“What did you used to do?” Dani asked, perplexed.

“I kept my window open, and several days’ worth of food in his bowl” She shrugged “he’s a hobo Dani, just like I was” she grinned. Dani was touched at the trust Grace gave her and treasured her evenings spent with the surly cat.

On Grace’s 33rd birthday Dani asked the head cook of the mess, Bruce, to make a small chocolate cupcake which Dani brought to her room and presented, candle and all.

Grace instantly beamed, she blew out the candle, and hugged her friend tightly.

“Thank you” Grace said through tears

“Grace” Dani reached up to wipe them away, but Grace brushed her away.

“It’s okay” she sniffed “it’s just that nobody’s done something like this for me in a very long time” she looked up at Dani and her eyes shone “And you remembered that chocolate cake with sprinkles is my favourite!”

“Of course I did!” Dani laughed and embraced her friend again.

“Feliz cumplianos Grace”

Grace laughed and couldn’t keep the smile form her face. She broke the small cupcake in half and they enjoyed it together. Delighting in the rare sweet treat.

As Dani watched Grace’s enjoyment, she found herself wanting to see and hear her friends’ beautiful laughter even more, wanted to be the cause of it. She sighed and swallowed the last of the cake. _‘Just friends’_ she reminded herself.

***

A few nights later, eight months into their training came the hardest and final part for any of the Augments training.

This was the day they learned what damage their bodies were capable of receiving and how to perform their own field trauma care to injuries sustained in battle.

But the only realistic way an Augment could do this was to actually experience the trauma.

Role playing didn’t work when you were capable of withstanding a grenade blast up close, when a stray bullet could just as easily scratch you as puncture a vital organ. You couldn’t just simulate an Augments RD data and ask them to act accordingly, because in real life, their RD’s were real time, and constantly updating data, helping them send commands to their microprocessors to assist them.

Augments needed to understand how their bodies and their microprocessors would react to pain and trauma, and how they could direct their own augments to help them stay alive.

Dani knew this part of the training all too well, had fought against it, but ultimately knew it made better soldiers even if they lost one or two occasionally. But this time, Grace could be one of those ‘one or two’ and she was not willing to accept that.

The night before the exercise, Dani had knocked on Grace’s dorm door in an agitated state and had asked Grace not to participate in the final challenge, to wait until the next round of recruits, she had lied and said that Grace wasn’t ready, that she needed more time to get a grasp of her augments. It had basically turned into a yelling match in which Grace had not so respectfully told her to go fuck herself and closed the door on Dani’s face.

She went to Hadrell and asked him the same. His reply was more pragmatic. “She’s ready, she’s more than ready. And I think you know that Commander”

Dani spent a fitful night imagining everything that could go wrong in the training arena tomorrow. She rose at 5am having not slept a wink.

Dani had never stayed in the observation deck for this part of the training. She had tried once, but the blood and the obvious pain each of her solders endured simply for training purposes made her sick.

“Are you sure you want to be here” Evelyn asked Dani quietly, careful not to let any of the other technicians hear her.

Dan simply nodded and folded her arms across her chest. Determined to be the Commander today.

She watched the four new Augments enter the room. Wearing black fatigues and a plain black tank top. No tactical clothing was allowed during this exercise.

Dani gasped as she took in the vision of Grace. She was wearing black on black and had become the spitting image of the Grace she had known from 20 years ago.

The monitors showed all four soldiers had slightly elevated heart rates and cortisol levels, normal considering that they each knew what to expect from today.

Hadrell entered the room and addressed them again. He’d already done so in the briefing room but wanted to make sure they knew he was present, that he had faith in them all.

“Today is going to hurt soldiers, I’m not going to lie. But today is also the day you learn what your bodies are capable of when injured. You’ll learn to use your RD’s to help save yours or a fellow soldiers life. You’ll learn to exert control over your vascular system via your microprocessors, and you’ll put your field medical training to use.”

The soldiers shifted uncomfortably.

“We’ve gone over the theory for all of this for the last eight months. Now it’s time to use that knowledge and learn to save your life, or the life of a team member when it counts.”

Dani saw Grace clench her jaw and nod. A look of steely determination crossing her face.

 _‘please be careful’_ Dani silently pleaded.

There were four phases to the field trauma training protocol. Shrapnel, concussive injuries, penetrating injuries, and crush injuries.

All the recruits knew that this phase of the training would end with them in med bay at the very least, likely in the Augment Chamber, or perhaps even in the morgue, but they also knew it was necessary.

Phase 1 started without warning as four hidden explosions approximately a foot apart from each soldier threw shrapnel into the air.

Each recruit flew into the air and landed heavily on the ground. Dani should have been watching all 4 but her eyes were glued to Grace, and her RD monitor.

Grace picked herself up off the floor and pulled herself back to the wall. She reached onto one of the 4 med packs lined up and began extricating shrapnel from her torso, neck, and arms.

The soldiers needed to know how their mesh subdermal lining reacted to shrapnel. It would stop most slow speed or blunt projectiles, but not all of them. And even then, they had to know how to care for and bandage the epidermal skin on top until it healed.

Grace grit her teeth and exposed a large chunk of metal which had embedded itself in her ribcage. She accessed her RD and didn’t detect and significant blood loss or damage to her internal organs. So, she pulled on a pair of gloves and began extracting it from her torso. As it pulled out, it became clear that the subdermal underlayer had allowed the shrapnel to simply glance along it and not penetrate through it. Grace applied a painful antiseptic solution to the wound, followed by an aerosol application of liquid skin, a glue-like substance that would keep the wound closed and air free, then a non-adhesive dressing.

She repeated the same to five other wounds on her body, one on each arm, one on her neck, and another on her torso. All five wounds were kept minimally traumatic by the presence of the subdermal protection. When it came to the shrapnel in Grace’s leg, she knew the damage would be different. She could feel that the length of rebar had penetrated past the mesh layer and into her muscle, much the same as if it were a blade or bullet. If it had hit a blood vessel and she pulled it out, she could bleed to death, if she kept it in, she would be useless on the field. So the only choice was option one.

She took off her belt and tied it off high up on her thigh. She used scissors to cut away the fabric surrounding the piece of rebar. She took hold of the protruding piece of rebar and pulled steadily upwards, monitoring her RD the whole time for a drop in BP or anything that signalled blood loss. She couldn’t help but groan as the last of the rebar came free and she could see the wound underneath. She flushed it thoroughly with saline, she packed it with a specialised sterile gauze that contained a clotting agent, and she wrapped a combine dressing around her leg.

Dani suddenly felt like she could breathe again.

The point of the exercise was to get each soldier up and back on their feet to either continue fighting or to help extract other injured soldiers. Rough field dressings were all that were required as the major trauma would be addressed later at base or by the field medics.

Once Grace had finished bandaging herself, she assessed the others and moved to Marshall who appeared the next most injured. He had a shrapnel injury to his eye, and she had to work to calm him down enough to assess it. She wouldn’t pull it out but she knew how to dress the injury so it couldn’t get any worse.

“Just think of it this way Marshall” she grinned at him “you’ll get to show off your bionic eye tomorrow” Marshal was in obvious pain but smiled at his teammate.

By the time she had finished bandaging Marshall, all four soldiers were back on their feet, standing near the centre of the arena, dreading the next test against their already bruised and bleeding bodies.

The next phase would be even more dangerous. A sonic cannon appeared from above them and fired directly at their feet, throwing all four augments in an arc approximately ten feet into the air before they hit the walls and landed in heaps on the floor.

Dani felt bile rise in her throat as she heard the sickening sounds their bodies made as they hit the wall and instantly recalled the drone blast that had almost killed her and Grace at the Laredo border.

All four augments were unconscious which was expected. The test was to see what they would do when they awoke. Dani tried to breath evenly as she watched Grace’s unconscious body for any sign of movement.

It took approximately 10 minutes, but Grace awoke first and appeared to immediately go into a mild seizure, he long body becoming visually taught and out of her control. Dani watched her RD display and saw that she was in fact crashing, and her own heart rate skyrocketed. But once the short seizure had passed, Grace weakly extracted her med gun from her utility belt and injected a dose of the meds into her leg.

After about 5 minutes the drugs took effect and Grace was able to make sense of her RD. Her eardrums had burst due to the sonic blast, so she had to rely on her other senses. Her RD showed some source of internal blood loss, but without knowing where she had no option other than to administer a dose of adrenalin and hope that the nanites in her blood would repair the tissue damage if they could. She had no broken bones that she could visually see via X-ray, and no head trauma that she could detect except for the perforated tympanic membranes.

Again, she looked around her and saw that all the augments were in similar states of recovery. She smiled lightly at Torez who returned the smile followed by a roll of her eyes which made Grace grin.

Dani watched the exchange an felt a hot flash of jealousy flow through her. But now was not the time. She pushed it down and waited for the third challenge. 

Just as all four augments stood up, a simulated Rev-7 entered the facility and all the soldiers immediately reached for their non-existent weapons.

“This is fucked!” Evans yelled up to the observation room.

“No kidding” Evelyn replied unheard by the recruits.

Of all the Revs, the 7’s were the most unpredictable and possibly because of that the most lethal except for the 9’s which for now were purely theoretical.

Their sharp tentacle like appendages designed for one thing only and that was to pierce armour and flesh.

Grace stood frozen for a moment, taken back to the day she almost died from the injuries inflicted upon her by a Rev-7.

This Rev-7 however was eerily still. Its appendages raised to attack, but it didn’t move to action.

Evelyn reached for the intercom “Your mission will be to get yourselves and your fellow soldiers to the other side of the arena. The 7 has limited reach and will only use two tentacles at a time every 10 seconds.”

Grace took a deep breath and felt a catch in her ribcage _‘okay, broken rib’_ she made a mental note.

Almost immediately Marshall charged the Rev, sidestepping one spear, but getting his left leg impaled by the second.

Grace moved into action to help. She used her predictive vis to help her feign left and dodge the first spear, then she feigned right and dodged the second. If the instructor was telling the truth, she would have approximately 10 seconds to get Marshall out of there. She pulled hard at the spear inside Marshall's leg and managed to get it free in seconds, she rounded him and grabbed him under his shoulders to drag him back to the far wall.

The ten seconds must have lapsed because approximately ten feet from the wall, the Rev’s speared tentacle came directly for Marshall's torso. Grace threw her weight sideways and thankfully the spear completely missed him. It took her a moment to realise that in removing Marshall from danger, she’d put herself in the path of the spear, and it had lodged itself through her left shoulder.

Through and through _‘Well at least there’s that’_ as a medic she knew through and through wounds carried less chance of infection and long-lasting damage. The tentacle had lifted her painfully off her feet, suspending her approximately a foot off the ground. She grunted in pain and tried to pull herself free, she directed her microprocessor to dampen her pain response and redirect blood flow away from the puncture site.

Dani almost yelled through the glass as she watched Grace dangling helplessly. “Shut it down!” She hissed to Evelyn.

“You know we can’t Dani” The blonde doctor responded flatly but put a reassuring hand on her friends’ shoulder.

Torez was watching what was happening in slow motion and as soon as Grace shifted Marshall off her, she knew that her friend was in trouble. The second spear had not been let free yet, so she charged towards Grace, hoping to dodge the second spear and free her friend.

Torez launched herself through the air and made contact with Grace’s body, and the force of the impact released her shoulder from the spear. They landed in a heap on the ground just as the second spear came toward them.

This time it was Torez who pushed Grace’s injured body off hers as the spear came down and penetrated her torso.

“Noooo!” Grace yelled and immediately moved into action. She pulled the spear from her friends’ body and dragged her to where Marshal was against the wall. Her RD showed that her friend had a lacerated liver and was losing blood at an alarming rate.

“Evans!” Grace yelled. “Get over here! Now!” Grace would need help to stem the flow of blood from her friend’s wounds.

Evans had watched the preceding three soldiers and managed to get to the wall with a glancing blow of a spear against his calf.

Torez was drifting in and out of consciousness and Grace immediately administer both an adrenalin pen and her med-gun cocktail.

“Stay with me Alicia” Grace ordered. She packed the puncture wound as tightly as she could with the clotting gauze and told Evans to apply pressure to it while she bandaged his calf.

The nanites inside each of them worked extremely efficiently to repair damaged tissue, and heal broken bones, but they couldn’t replace blood, and that was what Torez needed right now.

Luckily, in their infinite wisdom, the when the Resistance had transfused them during augmentation, they had also genetically altered their bone marrow and made them all into universal blood donors.

Evans had thus far sustained the least amount of blood loss, so he was the obvious candidate for transfusion. He offered up his arm without Grace even having to ask.

She used the contents of the available med kit and cannulated them both and let the transfusion begin. In addition, she added a bolus one litre saline solution to try and bring up her friend’s dropping BP.

“Come on Alicia” Grace ordered.

“Sergeant! It looks like the bleeding has stopped” Marshall said as he raised some of the gauze packing Torez’s wounds.

Her medic training consisted of immediate trauma care, stabilising the patient, then extracting them from the situation but she didn’t know how to extract Torez from a training simulation. So for now, she'd done all she could do.

All of a sudden, she became lightheaded and remembered her shoulder injury. Even though she had redirected the majority of her blood flow away from her shoulder, blood had soaked her entire left arm, and part of her clothing. She knew she still had good range of motion otherwise she would never have been able to administer to Torez. But she knew she had to stop the blood loss and stabilise the shoulder.

Marshall helped her with packing the puncture wound and bandaging it tightly before hoisting her arm in a sling.

Her RD showed her that she was on the verge of crashing again, and as she looked at Marshall and Evans she could see that they too were verging on a crash.

“Soldiers!” the two men looked at her “Med-guns now!” without hesitation they withdrew their guns and administered their doses. The second for Grace.

Evans was beginning to look a little pique and Grace’s RD showed that his BP had dropped slightly, so he had given all the blood he was going to give today.

Torez, appeared stable. Unconscious but stable. Grace could not detect any fractures, just a small laceration to her liver which the nanites were capable of fixing in the matter of a half hour or so.

Dani swallowed hard and lent her head against the glass wall. “This is inhuman” The trial had been going on now for a period of approximately four hours, and all four augments were looking like the walking dead. Torez especially.

“Can’t we extract Torez so she can be treated?” Dani asked.

“No, the point of the training is that they can treat their injuries in the field to the point where there is either an imminent extraction, or where the injuries are incompatible with life”

“Incompatible with life” Dani sighed. She knew the term. Knew it usually referred to massive trauma such as decapitations, or full body crush injuries.

The four in the arena were still alive and all four were considered stable. So, the test would continue.

The last test was to see how the augments dealt with a crush injury. How they orchestrated this, Dani had no idea, but she could feel the dread build in her.

All of a sudden a smaller scale version of a HK dropped from the ceiling and circled the Augments. Again, all three mobile Augments reached for their weapons but again came up empty.

The HK hovered above them, seemingly innoxiously. But Grace wanted to move it away from Alicia who couldn’t take another injury, so she signalled to the two men to move along the circular wall towards the other side of the arena.

The HK decided to follow the male augments. But it didn’t attack.

“What the fuck is it doing!?” Evans shouted.

All of a sudden it tilted as though preparing to launch aft, and from the cargo hold dropped an empty metal cage. 

The cage headed straight for Evans who seemed glued to place. Marshall managed to grab him by his shoulder and pull him back but not before the cage landed on his legs, crushing them under its weight.

Evans screamed and tried to struggle free.

“Don’t” Grace commanded. “we have to leave it in place and wait for extraction”

“What?” Evans screamed “Get it off me!” Grace looked at the cage and knew that it weighed at least 2000lb. Even at full strength they might have had trouble moving it.

“We can’t Evans. My arm is basically useless, and Marshall can’t lift that weight by himself. We can treat you for blood loss and shock, but we can’t move the weight without medics present. As soon as that cage comes off you, your body is going to go into a combination of shock and sepsis which we can’t treat here in the field”

Evans pushed against the crate and continued to scream “Get this fucking thing off me!”

Grace dug through her med kit and came up with a syringe of lorazepam and injected it straight into his carotid artery. He immediately stopped talking and went limp.

“What’d you do?” Marshal asked.

“I knocked him out” Grace said matter-of-factly.

Together she and Marshall managed to set up a fluid IV for Evans and administer pain control.

Grace lay herself down on the floor and took a deep breath, again feeling the catch in her ribcage.

“What a day” She whispered.

Marshall lay down beside her and agreed the affirmative before passing out.

Grace used her RD to check on Torez, Marshall and Evans before she was satisfied she had done everything she could do without medical extraction. Her eyelids became heavy as the toll of the day started to weigh on her bruised body.

Just as she was about to close her eyes, the lights of the arena came on and eight medics entered the room along with stretchers and a mechanical winch.

Grace let out another sigh of relief. She could hand over to them and her job was done. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into unconsciousness.

As soon as the medics had put Grace onto the stretcher Dani raced out of the observation room and down into the med bay.

She met the stretcher just as it arrived, and she looked down at Grace’s very bloody body.

“Don’t worry ma’am, the Augmentation Chamber will have her fixed up in no time” one of the medics informed her as they carried her off.

She nodded. Remembering that injured Augments were put into the nutrient tank where the nanites did their jobs to treat almost any type of injury.

Grace was quickly scanned and found to have a broken rib, a torn muscle in her quad, a punctured lung in her upper left lobe where the spear had punctured and damaged several muscles in her rotator cuff. All immediately treatable in the AC.

She was sedated and lowered into the nutrient bath within a half hour.

This was the second time Dani had seen Grace in this bath, a tube feeling her oxygen, suspended by almost unseen cables as her body regenerated. She hated it just as much this time.

“She’s going to be a hell of a spec ops team member” cam Hadrell’s voice from behind her.

Dani cleared her throat and tried to remain neutral “Hmmm? How so?”

“You saw what I saw right Commander?”

Dani turned around to face the tall Spec Ops Captain. “I did”

“Sergeant Harper can think on her feet, she’s tough, she’s smart, she’s strong, she’s calm under pressure, she’s a natural leader, they all listen to her, she’s and excellent medic, and she puts her team members before herself”

Dani began to tremble inside. She knew if this were any other soldier, she would be agreeing whole-heartedly with him. But this was Grace.

“And the others?” Dani queried.

“We can definitely use Marshall, and if Torez recovers completely, her too. Evans unfortunately probably won’t make the cut”

Dani nodded. She would have made the same assessment. Evans was a liability. He couldn’t think under pressure, and he couldn’t control his emotions, and despite eight months, he still hadn’t formed the vital neural connections between his microprocessor and the rest of his body. All of which were deadly out on the field. Evans would see out his Augment Duty doing what he had previously done before his procedure, or he would be given the opportunity to take on a civilian life in the Settlements.

***

It took a couple days but eventually Grace was out of the Augment chamber and back to training. It seemed as though the injuries she’d sustained mere days ago were a distant memory. Her shoulder bore a small crescent shaped scar where the spear had pierced her, but otherwise she was virtually unmarked.

Dani watched the soldier run through a Rev sim with live fire, but no live spears or risk of injury. Grace had to select the correct weapon, find shelter when appropriate, not kill the mock innocents, and destroy as many Rev’s as possible.

By her third attempt, she had neutralised all Rev’s and saved all civilians.

She exited the training arena jubilant, sweaty and excited, until she saw Dani.

She recalled their argument a few days earlier when Dani had told her to wait for the training, that she wasn’t ready.

“Still think I’m not ready Commander” she said in a hurt tone

Dani ducked her head and couldn’t say anything. She watched the tall soldier walk down the hall and felt her stomach turn to lead.

Dani wanted her friend back.

As soon as Grace had turned her back to Dani, she felt the hot sting of angry tears and took quicker strides to widen the distance between her and the Commander. She missed her friend but was also still hurt by her words. 

***

** 2041  **

11 long years after the Resistance received their first small piece of intel of the Rev-9’s development, it had its’ first encounter with one.

It took 11 years for Legion to perfect a terminator that looked and spoke like a human, who could mimic human behaviour, humour, empathy, anger, sadness, and charm. Who could take on the form of any organic or inorganic form it encountered, could operate its liquid form entirely separately from its solid, essentially becoming two, fully autonomous killing machines.

Thanks to the Commanders quiet guidance, and Evelyn’s thorough research, they were as prepared as they thought they could be. They had developed and prepared EMP rounds that could load into a soldiers’ existing rifle along with their existing explosive plasma rounds. Essentially interchangeable depending on their needs.

And Dani had ensured that, through the Committee, EMP rounds were distributed throughout the Base and the Settlements.

Most in the Resistance however, still assumed the Rev-7’s were still their most vicious and dangerous adversary, and weren’t in the habit of carrying the new EMP rounds with them.

The Resistance was to eventually discover that they were well equipped but ill prepared, and that their first encounter with the Rev-9 would alter not only the path of the war, but the lives of all that were there.

***

Dani had busied herself for weeks with Resistance matters. Going over Evelyn’s plans on how to neutralise a Time Distortion device and see if there was a more efficient way of taking out the still theoretical Rev-9 than with an EMP.

She signed orders, read over reports, took part in recon missions, and fell into bed each night exhausted, but unable to sleep.

It had been weeks since they last spoke, rather, argued. That night before the final training exercise. She’d kept an eye on Grace’s progress and was both proud and anxious to see that Grace had been officially accepted into Spec Ops and had already undertaken several recon missions with them.

No heavy fire or close combat yet, but with Spec Ops, it was inevitable.

She knew Grace now thought less of her after their argument weeks ago, but she didn’t know how to repair the divide. She tried to put the tall soldier out of her mind, convincing herself that she’d make amends the next time she saw her, but she never did, and it was a daily struggle for Dani to keep Grace off her mind.

Evelyn knocked on her office door and hesitated before entering.

“Hadrell’s team is inbound from their recon mission east” she had concern in her eyes.

“Grace?” Dani stood up, knowing instinctively that something had gone wrong.

“Dani, it was a 9” Evelyn held her hand up “We have the trauma team ready”

“What happened?” Dani was already clearing her desk and getting herself ready to meet the Dragonfly.

“We don’t know yet” she looked sympathetically at her friend. “All I know is that one team member is dead, and Grace is in a bad way, she held up her mobile screen showing Grace’s stats and Dani couldn’t believe what she was seeing”

Dani sprinted for the flight deck, followed closely by the Augment programme leader.

They heard the whirr of the dragonfly and within moments it was landing. Dani tried to stay out of the way of the trauma crew but needed to see Grace.

When she did, she didn’t recognise her. She was laying prone on a stretcher, she’d been intubated, and one medic was filling her lungs with air, while another had climbed on top of the stretcher and was administering CPR. She was literally covered in blood and had a dark spear shaped object through her torso. A Rev-9 spear, Dani would have recognised it anywhere.

Dani felt her legs try to go out from under her, but Evelyn was close and quickly stepped in behind her friend, offering support.

Her mind raced. _‘What the fuck happened!?’_

_***_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me. This is the last slow burn chapters for our two heroines! I promise there will be plenty of PWP ahead!  
> But this story definitely does have an overall plot so I wanted to delve a bit more into the team dynamics between Dani, Grace, Evelyn, Hadrell and Torez a bit more. And I wanted to explore a bit more of Dani's inner struggle over Grace.  
> M/F sex forewarning.

As they wheeled Grace past her, the thing Dani noticed again was the amount of blood covering Grace’s unresponsive body, and the paleness of her skin underneath all that blood.

Dani wanted desperately to go with Grace, but as Commander she had a commitment to the Resistance, so she watched Grace disappear into the tunnel headed toward trauma and turned back to the dragonfly crew.

Hadrell exited the dragonfly and sat heavily on the first concrete bollard he got to.

The rest of the team, all bloody and weary stepped off the dragonfly just as heavily. The final four soldiers carrying a black body bag between them.

Dani counted faces and knew that the dead soldier was Marshall. The Augment recruit who had joined with Grace.

She signed heavily and approached Hadrell, who immediately stood to attention.

“It was Rev-9’s Commander”

Dani felt a hitch in her breathing “There were more than one?”

“There were three of them Commander, hidden in a warehouse. We thought they were refugees” he shook his head “Their heat signatures were right, they had heartbeats, I didn’t check anything else, there was a kid” he looked distraught and sad “it’s my fault Commander”

He stood straight, eyes ahead, prepared for whatever the Commander had to say.

“Hijo de puta!” Dani swore into the air and swung around.

Hadrell had no idea what his Commander had just said but she was angry.

Evelyn looked just as angry but gave him a reassuring nod as she went over to check on the exhausted soldiers, all sitting or laying in various places around the dragonfly.

Dani saw Torez sitting heavily on the edge of the dragonfly and approached her quickly and angrily “que cono!?” she raised both arms up in question.

Torez looked up and sighed “no se” she unclipped her helmet “pendejo!” she screamed and threw it angrily.

Dani desperately wanted to go be with Grace but as Commander she had to find out what had happened first.

“Que paso? What happened?” Dani questioned them again in a gentler tone.

“Like Hadrell said. We thought we had found a family. Refugees. There was a mother, a father and a child” she shook her head. “Their heat signatures read right, and they ‘looked’ right, Grace was hesitant. I don’t know what she saw or heard, but something spooked her. She didn’t want to let Hadrell bring them onboard”

“What?” Dani asked incredulously.

“Yeah” Torez scoffed “We all thought she was acting strange, but when she raised her weapon and shot the little girl in the face” Dani stood dumbfounded.

“It was a fucking 9 Commander” she shook her head again.

“Captain!” Dani motioned for Hadrell to approach. “How far from base was this?”

“Approximately 300 clicks Commander. I honestly don’t think they were searching for the base, and even if they were, they were a long way off”

“Mierda” she swore again. “But if they had got to the dragonfly ….”

“Yeah, exactly. And one almost did …” Hadrell rubbed his cropped head. If even one of them had infiltrated the dragonfly CPU they would have discovered every base and every colony the resistance had.

“Pendejo!!” Dani dropped her head.

“Harper used a short range emp round on the woman. Marshall was closest to the child, but he hesitated, he couldn’t raise his weapon” Hadrell looked at the floor.

“It was the male infiltrator who almost took us all out. Most of us weren’t prepped with EMP’s, we had plasma weapons, the hybrid rounds for the 7’s, but we just weren’t prepared for this and the 9 just kept coming. Grace … Harper was the only one of us who had EMP’s at the ready, so she took the front line. But it’s like he knew every move she was going to make before she made it. The rest of us used what we could, and eventually the rail cannon pushed him far enough back that we could move our injured back to the dragonfly”

Dani listened in silence, playing out the battle in her head.

“The adult female was easy to kill when we got it far enough away from the helo, and Harper used the short range EMP, she wasn’t as strong as the male model, but she still put holes in most of us. The male rev was relentless. We pushed him back with everything we had and managed to start the dragonfly for evac”

Dani’s heartbeat picked up.

“Harper jumped out to cover our backs” Hadrell sighed. “She had a few plasma rounds, a few grenades, and a couple short range EMP’s. But she jumped out and managed to keep him back far enough for us to take off”

He took a breath and hesitated. Evelyn who had checked on the Augments not in the med bay had returned to the small circle and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. A gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by Dani.

“We dropped a line to Harper and she tied off, but she ran out of ammunition just as we were winching her up.”

Dani felt bile rise in her throat.

“He got her straight through her torso, upper right quadrant, through and through”

“There was nothing we could do from where we were” Torez spoke softly.

“She yelled at us to cut the line” Hadrell spoke “and I almost did”

“But?” Dani whispered.

“the projectile is memetic alloy, so she used her laser cutter to sever it” Hadrell grinned “Most amazing son of a bitch move I’ve ever seen”

Dani processed the information and asked them all to be in the briefing room that evening by twenty-hundred hours. She quickly turned and made her way to the med bay.

She passed several Augments all in various states of trauma, but none appeared critical. Non except Grace at the end who was still being ventilated but had thankfully developed a heart rhythm.

Dani’s presence was a silent request for an update, she didn’t need to ask.

“Sergeant Harper sustained critical injuries ma’am” Dr Yeo said as she busied herself with the various bags and tubes around Grace’s prone body. “She went into asystole in transit, and had to be intubated. We’re waiting on pictures to tell us the nature of the penetrating wound”

Dani looked down at Grace’s torso and saw the metallic black spear penetrating her just above and to the left of her bellybutton. Her body was as pale as Dani had ever seen it, and there was so much blood.

“Can’t you use the Augment Chamber?” Dani asked.

“We don’t know how the mimetic technology will interact with the tech in the chamber ma’am” Dr Yeo answered.

Dani nodded. It was imperative to keep Legion as far away from Resistance technology as possible. They had no way of knowing if that single appendage had communication or transmission capabilities. So for now, they had to keep Grace as far away from Legion adapted Resistance technology as possible. Which was slightly ironic, considering that the projectile was currently imbedded in one of the Resistance’s most advanced pieces of Legion adapted tech.

“Will she live” Dani asked and gently touched Grace’s cold hand.

“We think so Commander. Her power source wasn’t damaged, and as long as we can keep her BP within range, stop the blood loss, and transfuse her ASAP, she has a good chance”

“That’s IF you can remove the spear safely?” Dani corrected.

“Yes ma’am”

At that moment, the heart monitor above Grace became erratic and started sending out alarms.

“What the hell!?” the doctor exclaimed.

“What?” Dani asked

“I’ve never seen readings like this Commander” Another medic quickly ran into the room with x-ray films in hand.

Dr Yeo took them and held them up to the light

“What the fuck”

This time Dani didn’t have to ask, she could see as clear as day that the spear inside Grace’s body had sent tendrils out, almost in an exploratory way, toward her heart and her spine, and one was getting dangerously close to her brain stem.

Evelyn rushed into the room as did Hadrell and two of the Resistance’s top scientific advisors.

They each looked at the X-ray film, and except for a few expletives, they remained silent. Waiting for the Commander.

Dani couldn’t think clearly so close to Grace’s injured body, so she signalled them to move into the adjoining hall.

“Evelyn” Dani asked first.

“It’s possibly independently intelligent Commander. But we don’t know what it’s looking for, nor how, or if, it can transmit back to legion”

Dani nodded.

“We should initiate fatality protocol” Dr Amir, the Resistance second in command engineer and physicist said flatly.

Dani wanted to punch him in the face but as Commander she had to at least appear to listen to her advisors.

“If it reaches her microprocessor, it has everything, all our research, all our locations, everything!”

“I agree” David Spencer, Dani’s communications expert said.

Dani felt herself begin to shake.

“She fucking saved our entire unit, and you want to fry her chip?” Hadrell said incredulously. He punched the wall and stalked off. He knew his presence was purely military, so he had little to offer, he also knew that if he stayed, he was likely to damage somebody.

“We could try to operate” a voice spoke from the doorway. It was Dr Yeo who had been attending Grace.

“How?” Dani asked. A tendril of hope snaking through her.

“We know EMP’s kill it right?”

“A close range EMP will also kill the sergeant” Evelyn interjected.

“Right. But not if we switch her off first”

They stood in complete silence for a moment.

“Is that even possible?” Dani asked Evelyn

“Theoretically” Evelyn nodded. “But there would be no guarantee that we could reboot the Sergeants microprocessor or whether her power source will reconnect. And we would have to manually keep her organs functioning because a close range EMP would wipe out any mechanical intervention”

“But it might be possible?” Dani asked again.

“Maybe” Evelyn replied.

“Doctor, I honestly think the best course of action is to initiate fatality protocol and incinerate the Augment” Dr Spencer interjected.

Dani grit her teeth and stepped toward the scientist, fire in her eyes.

“She’s not a piece of scrap metal you can just throw away” her hands formed fists at her sides “She’s a soldier. My soldier. And if there’s a way to keep her fighting for the Resistance without risking our intelligence, then I’m going to order the doctor here to proceed” Her face had become dark and angry, and Dr Spencer knew better than to push further.

“If. And only if, that thing gets within an inch of her microprocessor will we consider fatality protocol. Am I understood?”

“Yes Commander” Spencer nodded.

Dani spoke to the doctor. “Doctor I need you to keep a constant eye on the growth rate of that thing. I need to know if it comes close to her processor okay?”

“Yes Commander” she immediately nodded.

Evelyn turned to Dr Yeo who would also be Grace’s surgeon and asked again if it was medically possible. The doctor nodded, and was relieved to be able to do so on two levels: that she wouldn’t have to take Grace away from the Commander who obviously cared deeply for this soldier, and the scientist in her was doubly intrigued at the idea of the upcoming procedure. It had never been done before and would be ground-breaking in a world where ground-breaking was either breakneck, or rare.

Danni nodded. “Dr Yeo, get a team together, I want you and Dr Beraud … Evelyn, to put a plan together. Meet in the med bay conference room in two hours” She looked at two women and they both nodded.

“Commander” Dr Yeo spoke uncertainly

“Yes doctor” Dani replied openly with kind eyes, wanting the doctor to feel free to discuss anything with her.

“She may not have two hours” The doctor looked Dani square in the eyes.

Dani felt the drop in her stomach again “Okay, then I’ll be waiting in the med bay, come get me when you have a plan”

The doctors nodded and dashed off together.

The two scientists nodded and proceeded into the research lab to do what they could.

Dani, alone, turned and went to Grace.

She sat by the soldiers’ bed, afraid to touch her. She had tubes and cables coming out from what seemed like every available inch of skin.

Dr Spencer was busy attaching small electrodes to the protruding end of the spear “To see if, and how, it communicates” he explained.

Dr Amir measured any energy output, took a sample of the alloy, and quickly retreated back to his lab.

Again, Dani was alone with Grace.

“Hold on Grace okay” She whispered softly. Hating that their last words had been in anger toward each other, hating that she’d been too cowardly to make amends sooner, and desperately hoping that she’d get the opportunity to apologise.

Grace’s body was so cold and still, she had to keep her eyes on the monitor to remind herself she was still alive. Grace’s breathing would occasionally hitch despite the ventilator, and she would grasp Dani’s had tightly as the spear shifted insider her, but otherwise she was still except for the mechanically forced rise and fall of her chest. The hissing and ticking of the ventilator soon became the only sound Dani was aware of.

After what seemed like hours but was closer to twenty minutes, Dr Yeo and Evelyn along with four other doctors entered the small med bay.

Dani looked up from the monitors and signalled them all to move towards the conference room.

“Okay, so we have a plan, but it will be rough”

“I wouldn’t have expected it to be easy doctors” Dani said lightly, and a few of them smiled.

Hadrell entered the room, Dani had asked for his presence as she felt that together he, Evelyn, and herself would be Grace’s strongest allies in this procedure.

Dr Yeo took a breath and proceeded to lay out the plan. They would use an old cement pre-war bunker to do the procedure. It was essentially used for storage now, but it had no electrical or network connectivity, and had basically little capacity to allow transmission of anything but short-wave radio signals.

They would remotely switch off Grace’s microprocessor, a procedure which would be done by Dr Amir at the base, and they would have to surgically remove her power source to shield it from the EMP, essentially switching her Augmented body off.

In order to safely conduct the procedure, they would induce hypothermia in order to preserve organ and brain function, as they had no idea how long the extraction would take.

Her lungs would be inflated manually, and her heart kept pumping by CPR, they couldn’t use a heart lung machine as the EMP posed a real risk of rendering it useless.

Dani’s head spun at the information.

“Essentially she would be dead Commander” Dr Yeo explained. “But the lack of electrical input means that we can relatively safely discharge a close range EMP and attempt to kill the legion organism inside her”

“If we can get it out of her fast enough, keep her body temp below 8 degrees to preserve organ function, if we can then warm her up quickly enough and get her heart started again, and her microprocessor, and power source, and close off any internal bleeds we can’t yet see ……” Dr Yeo trailed off realising how insane it sounded.

Evelyn interjected and tried to explain it slightly different “It’s basically like before the war. Back when there was a big electrical storm, you’d switch off all the plugs so the power didn’t surge and blow everything. But then you’d have to go through the house and turn everything back on again afterwards”

“And this is the best you can come up with?” Hadrell interjected. “You wanna essentially switch her off and back on again, but in between that you wanna tinker with a Legion weapon inside her?” he shook his head “fuck me”

Dr Yeo spoke up “Commander. People who have been clinically dead have survived before due to induced hypothermia, medical or otherwise, sometimes for hours. But the Sergeant is an Augment, which means half her body is either controlled by or powered by Legion technology, and we don’t know what the removal of that technology for any length of time will do.” The doctor paused. “But what I do know, it that as an Augment, she would want you to, as Sergeant Hadrell so eloquently put it, switch her off and turn her back on again” she smiled lightly. 

Dani and Evelyn smirked _‘soldiers’_ And Dani noticed that again Evelyn had grasped Hadrell’s large forearm as a show of support. She again filed that away for later.

“Okay” Dani nodded “So when do we start?” She had learned early on in the war that her strengths were focus, strategy, uniting and gaining peoples trust, and surrounding herself with people who knew more than she did. She didn’t have a natural scientific mind like Evelyn nor a medical one like Dr Yeo, so as insane as the plan sounded, if Evelyn and Dr Yeo had settled on it, then it was what she would agree to do.

“We already have Commander” Dr Yeo answered. “They have her in the hanger now and are lowering her body temp with cooling blankets as we speak”

“Okay let’s go” Dani nodded.

“One thing” Evelyn spoke up. “We can’t have any Augments present during the procedure” she looked up at Hadrell. “Nobody with a pacemaker or neuro implant of any sort, no electronic devices. The EMP is small but it’s a small room and we can’t take the chance of shutting anything else down” Hadrell nodded and exited the room.

Dani looked at Evelyn who returned her gaze with a small smile and a determined nod. They all exited the room and headed towards the bunker which was about a half mile away from the base.

Dani saw Grace laying on the stretcher, naked under a cooling blanket, monitors still connected and the ventilator still filling her lungs.

“Why isn’t she breathing by herself?” Dani asked

“the trajectory of the spear meant that it perforated her liver and also her diaphragm, her lungs appear intact, but she can’t move her diaphragm to inflate them” Dr Yeo explained.

She looked paler than before, if that was even possible; her lips tinged blue. Dani looked at the monitors and saw that her body temp was down to 10 degrees Celsius. The thought of it made her shiver. She went over to the table and held Grace’s cold limp hand in hers. She squeezed as though somehow able to give some of her strength to the tall soldier.

“Almost ready” Dr Yeo instructed her team as they watched the heart monitor dip and slow as the hypothermia took over until it eventually flatlined.

Grace was now clinically dead. Dani felt herself begin to tremble as she watched the unwavering green line on the screen.

“8 degrees” the medic confirmed, Grace’s had no cardiac rhythm, and her body temperature was low enough to preserve her brain and organ functions while they operated. Dr Yeo nodded, and the team went to immediate work.

Evelyn radioed Dr Amir to shut down the sergeant’s microprocessor remotely.

Grace was taken off the ventilator and attached to a bag, which a medic used to inflate her lungs.

Another medic immediately began chest compressions to keep her heart pumping the oxygen through her body.

Dr Yeo removed the cool blankets and quickly sliced into Grace’s abdomen, below the spear, she deftly reached in and pulled out Grace’s power source, keeping the incision site open with clamps. She placed the power source into a case which was removed from the building.

Dani momentarily turned away but kept hold of Grace’s hand. She couldn’t stop the memory from flooding her brain. The memory of when she had sliced into Grace’s abdomen and removed her power source.

Grace was immediately disconnected from all monitors. Everything was switched off, all radios, all electrical equipment.

“Okay” Evelyn breathed, and opened the case containing the EMP.

All of a sudden, Grace involuntarily arched off the table and she began to aspirate blood. Her hand clenched in Dani’s which made her heart jump. Dani quickly stood up, and placed a hand on Grace’s cold forehead, stroking it, trying to sooth the technically dead soldier in some way.

“Fuck!” Dr Yeo said.

“What’s happening?” Dani asked but nobody answered, everyone consumed with the jobs they had to do in order to keep the soldier alive.

Evelyn set the EMP on Grace’s abdomen and counted down. “3, 2, 1”

It didn’t actually seem like anything happened, except that Grace’s body went completely limp again and the mimetic spear inside her slowly changed colour to become almost aluminium in appearance and pliable.

“X-rays!” Dr Yeo yelled, and from somewhere a medic wheeled in a portable x-rays machine.

“Hook her back up!” Dr Yeo commanded, and Grace was immediately connected back to the monitors.

Her heartbeat was non-existent.

“Asystole” Dr Yeo called out and quietly asked Dani to move back out of the way.

“I need a picture dammit!” And within a second, the med-tech delivered her the x-ray pictures of the spear inside Grace.

“Dammit!” She cursed as she held up the image to the light.

“What’s happening” Dani yelled again.

Evelyn who had taken over CPR tried to explain. “We theorised that the legion organism, even just as a segment, might be somewhat self-aware. Turns out it was. When it sensed the EMP, it tried to burrow deeper inside Grace. In doing so, it looks like it may have perforated her lung and her pericardium, the lining of her heart. Her physical response was completely involuntary, the organism obviously sent an electrical impulse out in response to the proximity of the EMP, perhaps an attempt to transmit”

Dani didn’t really understand everything her friend had just said but got the gist of it.

“Heating Blankets now!” The doctor ordered. As she deftly reinserted Grace’s power source.

Evelyn switched her radio on and told Dr Amir to turn Grace’s microprocessor back on.

Still no changes in any of the monitors attached to Grace.

Dr Yeo quickly sealed the incision with the laser and then with both hands, slowly extracted the now pliable and very dead looking spear.

“We have to get her to the Augment chamber ASAP!” Dr Yeo grunted as the last of the organism slid out of Grace along with it a large amount of blood. She quickly suctioned out the excess blood and found the main source of blood loss, quickly resecting part of Grace’s torn liver with a cauterising laser.

“She’s still in asystole Doctor” Evelyn called out.

“I know but once we get her hear started, the Chamber is her best chance”

Dr Yeo pushed two litres of augment plasma into the cannula in Grace’s arm to try and bolster her fluid supply and increase the nanite presence in her blood stream. She pushed epinephrine into the cannula and watched the monitors.

The CPR Evelyn was conducting finally produced a flutter on the heart monitor which was enough for them to try shocking it back into rhythm.

“35 degrees Doctor” Evelyn called out.

“Paddles!” Dr Yeo ordered and was handed them immediately.

“Clear” She sent an electrical charge through Grace and her heart monitor blipped once but flatlined again.

“Charge” she waited the applied the paddles again “Clear”

Again, a surge of electricity went through Grace’s body, but this time her heartbeat remained on the monitor. It was clearly irregular, but there nonetheless.

“chest tube” Dr Yeo held out her hand and a surgical assistant provided her with a long clamp attached to a clear tube.

“We have to clear the space between her lungs before we can put her in the chamber Dani “Evelyn informed Dani who had gone still and pale as she watched what was happening. “She has to be able to accept oxygen and she has to have a heartbeat” Those are the minimum requirements for submersion in the AC, the nanites can try to fix the rest”

Dani stared dumbfounded as Dr Yeo deftly inserted a tube between Grace’s ribs and blood filled the tube, collecting in a receptacle attached to the stretcher.

“500cc’s” the med tech called out “70/40”

Dr Yeo blew out a breath “She’s Hypovolemic. Push another 3L saline STAT”

Dr Yeo stood back and removed her gloves.

“Is that it?!” Dani asked incredulously.

Grace looked like death on the table. Covered in blood, a tube coming out of her chest, another into her mouth, a gaping hole in her abdomen, her heart barely beating.

“The nanites in her blood, and the fluid chamber can do more than I ever could Commander. We just have to keep her stable enough to get her in there”

Together, the team moved Grace from the bunker back to the Augment Chamber and began prepping her for immersion.

Dani had never watched the process before. A trellis like object was lowered from the ceiling, attached to it, thin almost invisible cables. The med techs peeled back the tiny flesh coloured plugs along Grace’s body and attached the cables to imbedded anchor points: the juncture of her collarbones, the end of her hairline near her ears, the point where her deltoids attached to her humerus, the bend of her wrist, the anterior superior iliac crests of her hips, the lateral midway point of her femur, all strategic load bearing junctures which allowed her body to recline naturally when submerged.

A med-tech swapped out the ventilator for a specialised airtight mask which Dani had seen before. And they also inserted a small probe into Grace’s wrist, which Dani had not seen previously, but immediately, Grace’s vitals appeared on a screen.

The IV cannula was removed as were all the electrical leads attaching Grace to the monitors.

The trellis frame was lifted and with it, Grace’s frail body. Bloody and bruised, and still very much injured.

The frame moved above the tank and slowly lowed her inside.

The clear liquid immediately discoloured with her blood and the grime on her body. So much so that it became hard for Dani to see Grace through the glass within a few minutes.

But within moments all of her vital appeared on the screen above the tank. The probe in her wrist and her microprocessor, transmitting everything they would need to know about her state of health.

“Dani” She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Evelyn’s kind hazel eyes looking down at her “Let’s go get some quiet.

Dani nodded but not before she found Dr Yeo and shook her hand vigorously “I don’t know how to thank you doctor” she said earnestly.

Dr Yeo smiled and nodded. “It was a pleasure Commander. I hope she makes it” 

Evelyn led Dani into the Augment observation room and asked the technicians for an hour.

She let Dani to the sofa at the end of the room, poured them both a coffee, and sat down heavily beside her.

“Thank you” Dani spoke. Tears in her eyes and sincerity clearly in her voice.

Evelyn didn’t answer but placed a reassuring hand on Dani’s thigh.

Long moments of silence passed before Dani spoke again.

“The last time I saw her, I yelled at her” She teared up again. “I told her that she wasn’t ready for Spec Ops, that she should wait”

Evelyn frowned initially and then replied, “You were trying to protect her?”

Dani nodded.

“You know she’s an Augment Dani, and more than that she’s a soldier and a damn good one by all accounts. Stopping her from becoming Spec Ops wasn’t going to change who she is” She said softly and honestly.

Dani nodded and more tears fell “I can’t lose her Eve. Not before I apologise, not before I tell her how I feel!”

“So, you’re going to tell her?”

“I think I have to. It’s driving me to distraction” She shook her head to clear it “I’m not who I used to be”

Evelyn nodded. “No, you aren’t” but when she looked at her friend, her smile indicated that that was a good thing.

Again. A long moment of silence.

“So, You and Hadrell?” Dani grinned and Evelyn blushed.

She threw a pillow at Dani “Shut up and get some shut eye. I’ll wake you at nineteen hundred for some food before the meeting.

“Wake me if anything changes with Grace?” Dani asked.

“Oui”

With that, Dani lay down on the sofa and curled herself around the pillow. She was out before Evelyn had finished pulling the blanket over her. 

**

Dani arose to a gentle shaking on her shoulder and bolted upright “Is it Grace?” she said with a hint of panic in her voice.

“it’s 7pm Dani, I wanted to give you the chance to get some food before the 8pm meeting” Evelyn answered.

Dani nodded wordlessly and rubbed her face. The last several hours had felt like a week and her tired body protested her movement. _‘Who am I kidding. The last few weeks have felt like a year’_ She berated herself.

Evelyn led the Commander to the table they shared with Hadrell and some of the other officers. Dani acknowledged them with a nod but kept her head down as she ate, not tasting her food.

Hadrell looked questioningly at Evelyn who gave him a look that said ‘I’ll tell you later’

“So, Dr Yeo tells me our soldier will likely pull through” Hadrell said happily

“Good” Dani said wearily. She couldn’t eat anymore, so she stood up and turned to the exit. Evelyn started to rise, as did Hadrell, but she held out her hand, “Stay. I’ll see you in the briefing room in a half hour” with that she left and headed towards the Augment Chamber.

She arrived to find Torez seated by the tank which held Grace. Dani felt an instant flash of Jealousy but pushed it aside. The younger soldier looked in need of some company.

“Torez” Dani acknowledged and immediately the soldier stood at attention.

“At ease soldier” She smiled lightly. And sat on the cold bench seat, waiting for Torez to re-join her.

“I keep trying to replay the battle” she shook her head “to see if there’s something I could have done differently”

“seems to me, you and half the team took quite a licking, but you did do everything you could, all things considered” Dani answered.

“Marshall” Torez said with sadness clearly in her voice. And Dani placed a hand Torez’s knee. “Thing is, I don’t think I could have shot a kid either. I mean I knew It wasn’t a kid eventually, but Jesus” she bowed her head.

“That is what Legion has taken the last decade to perfect Torez. Mimicking us, using our humanity against us” she paused “Can you imagine, over 10 years to come up with this model? To be honest, quite a few of the R&D team members were beginning to think the Rev-9 was a myth.”

“I wish it had been”

“Me too” Dani said sadly. Grace’s body looked better than it had an hour ago, but not as much as she’d hoped. Her chest rose and fell which comforted her slightly, but she just looked so much more frail and vulnerable that she’d ever seen her.

The liquid had become much clearer, and already Grace’s body was looking more whole. The puncture wound in her stomach was sealing over, and the surgical incision Dr Yeo had made had all but vanished. Grace still had the chest tube in, and the receptacle read close to 1 litre now, but her chest rose and fell in even rhythm, and the heart monitor on the wall appeared much more regular than an hour ago.

Torez sighed heavily. “Grace … Sergeant Harper. She knew. Somehow, she knew before any of us” she looked up at her friend in the tank and her eyes filled with tears.

“Grace will come through this Torez” she squeezed her knee again “and when she does, she’ll be happy to know that her unit took care of her” Dani looked at Torez seriously, squeezing her knee quickly and making to stand.

“She’s important to you Commander” Torez asked quietly but earnestly.

“You all are” Dani answered honestly although knowing she was being evasive.

“That’s not what I meant Commander” Torez pressed.

Dani stood up, placed a quick hand on the glass tank. “Yes Torez. She’s important to me” And with that she walked toward the briefing room.

***

She entered the room and Hadrell had gathered two members of his squad, Torez entered behind Dani, so that was 4.

Evelyn was already setting up.

Spencer and Amir were at their seats.

“Okay everybody. I know it’s been a long day, but we need to get this information while it’s fresh. This was our first encounter with the Rev-9. Why did it take Legion so long to set it after us? Why is it so different? And how do we kill it?”

Everyone at the desk nodded.

“Would anyone be comfortable showing us their RD vision?” she asked around the table.

Every augment had RD tech, but at Dani’s insistence, all remote connection to it was severed after training had been completed, only vital signs were transmitted in real time. Dani believed in maintaining their privacy, so soldiers wore body cams occasionally, but their real time vision was considered their own

All Augments put their hands up.

Dani nodded to Hadrell first, who took the small probe Evelyn offered him, and deftly inserted it into the small node near his temple. He closed his eyes and took his recording back to just before the chopper landed.

Dani reached into her pocket and took out her ever-present butterfly blade. Everyone knew it was something the Commander did when she was either anxious or trying to take in information. The sound of the blade clicking, and twirling had become an almost constant presence in any briefing meeting, and, to their amusement, it had also become an inadvertent way to intimidate visitors to the base

Evelyn smiled inwardly; she watched her friend absently twirl the blade in a complex set of manoeuvres as though it was second nature to her. ‘ _Kinesthetics’_ She thought. She was always fascinated whenever she came across somebody who, like Dani, unconsciously needed to fiddle or play with something in their hands while they took in information.

Coming back to her task, Evelyn made sure the connection to Hadrell’s RD was active and flicked on the screens.

All eyes turned to the monitor.

Dani’s heart picked up when Grace appeared briefly in his vision. Steely determination in her eyes. Dani smiled. _‘Always a protector’_

***

_A disembodied voice called out “Sir, I see civilians!” Hadrell’s vision quickly swung to the large opening of the dragonfly as he leant out and spotted the three people below._

***

“Freeze” Dani called out. Her hand which had been flicking the blade, stilling.

“Son of a bitch” Evelyn swore.

***

_The image below showed three people. A man and woman seemingly aged in their 30 ’s and a small girl, maybe 10 or so. All three wore dirty, tattered clothing, the man carried a camping backpack. All three waved up at the helicopter._

***

“Continue” Dani requested.

***

_“Take us down” Hadrell ordered and his vision swung to the pilot then back to the people below._

_“Refugees?” Torez called out_

_“Looks like it” Marshall replied_

_Hadrell’s vision swung past his soldiers and as he glanced at Grace, Dani noticed the same look she’d seen hundreds of times before. The look of not quite trusting, not quite believing, the look she got when she was listening to her gut. Hadrell must have seen it too because he called out._

_“_ _Harper?”_

_Grace broke her concentration to answer “I don’t know Captain. There’s just something”_

_Hadrell looked back down at the family and his RD brought up IR and echo which displayed three distinct heart rhythms._

***

Dani sighed. Even she would have been fooled. But had he brought up X-ray, the rouse would had been discovered.

“Jesus they’re good” Amir said in awe.

“They mimicked heart rhythm” Spencer said incredulously “and lowered their core temps to match ours.”

“Incredible” Amir said again. His scientific brain obviously in awe.

“Yeah fucking Incredible” Torez swore in mock adoration, clearly pissed that they hadn’t picked up an anomaly.

***

_“Heartbeats” Hadrell called out happily and there were excited cheers all around him, but again as his vision swung to Grace, he could see she was still concentrating. “Harper?”_

_Grace looked up and clearly wasn’t sure how to continue._

_“His shoes sir”_

_“What?”_

_“His shoes. They’re too new. They aren’t scuffed, they’re too perfect”_

***

“Shit” Torez, Dani and Evelyn swore simultaneously. Obviously, nobody had noticed.

_***_

_“His shoes, soldier?” He asked almost incredulously._

_“I don’t know Captain. It just doesn’t feel right. What the hell is a small family doing all the way out here alone? It’s the middle of fucking nowhere. And they have a kid! They should be with a camp, their group should be larger, or at the very least, either of the parents should be dead” She said earnestly. “it could be an ambush”_

***

Dani knew Grace was drawing from her own experience after judgement day. Dani knew that their father died trying to save food for them. She knew that their mother died after being taken one night by a group of men. And she knew that Dani’s little brother had died from a combination of starvation and infection. She knew what the war did to families and seeing this seemingly picture-perfect family still together almost two decades after the war started, was setting off alarm bells for her.

***

_“Please!” the male voice called up to the hovering craft. “We’ve been here for days, we got separated from our group” he pleaded. “Leave us some water or take our daughter at least” he pleaded again._

_Hadrell’s RD vision zoomed and captured the family closer this time._

***

“Freeze” Dani requested.

***

_The Male was Latino in appearance, in his 30’s well built, short dark hair, and cold eyes. The female was pretty in a nondescript way, looking worriedly between her husband and daughter. The daughter had her back turned to the troops now, apparently nuzzling into her mother._

_***_

“It’s incredibly impressive infiltration, but Grace was right, in replay, knowing what we know, their behaviour, their facial expressions, their speech patterns, their postures are all just slightly off. It’s astounding really, how much they look, sound and act like us. How he tries to use our empathy to his advantage” Evelyn spoke in horrified admiration.

Dani violently embedded the blade of the small knife into the conference room table, she felt rage, and she felt sick. The male Rev was the same one that had hunted her in Mexico. Sure, it may not be the exact one, but it was still him, still the one who had essentially killed Grace 20 years ago and had almost succeeded in doing it again today.

“Continue” Dani requested feeling as though she was sending the soldiers into the upcoming battle herself even though this was replayed vision.

***

_“Take us down” Hadrell called to the pilot again. Grace nodded agreement, but Dani could see her pulling a handful of EMP shells from the helo storage and loading her rifle with them and the explosive plasma rounds._

_***_

“I didn’t even see her do that" Hadrell spoke

***

_The dragonfly landed and Hadrell was the first to disembark. The Male Rev stepped forward and held out his hand to shake that of the Captains. Hadrell looked around and ordered his group to make a perimeter and get them into the dragonfly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Marshall approach the small girl, he bent down and immediately a mimetic liquid spear drove through his skull. “Retreat!” Hadrell called out before his vision lifted and tumbled, the Rev apparently throwing his body aside._

_He tracked to Grace who had already fired her EMP round at the small Rev and destroyed it. The ‘mother’ who had already stabbed two other soldiers began approaching her and Grace fired another EMP at her, stopping her dead._

_“Everyone evacuate!” Grace called out. And Hadrell’s RD vision blurred as he was carried to the chopper and placed into it face up. He turned his head just in time to see a line of four soldiers firing at the male rev 9. Who split into two. The liquid form trying to take on Grace and Torez, while the metal form took on another two soldiers._

_Grace’s EMP rounds were useless against the liquid metal, so she changed cartridges to plasma._

_The Rev managed to spear Torez through the leg and toss her aside, leaving Grace by herself. She fired the plasma rounds into the Rev but he moved his liquid body each time to dodge the rounds._

_She backed up and found a length of chain and brutally swung it several powerful arcs over her head, severing the liquid body into four portions, giving her time to pick Torez up and get her to the helo. The other two soldier had managed to hold off the metal half of the rev with the rail cannon. Not destroying it but incapacitating it and throwing it halfway across the warehouse._

_“Load up!” Grace ordered._

_She jumped into the helo just as it began to take off, but purposely jumped out within a second. Hadrell’s vision hadn’t captured why, but he followed her with his eyes._

***

“The liquid half had reformed and was approaching us at speed. We weren’t lifting off fast enough” he filled in.

***

_Hadrell had obviously lifted himself up enough to throw down a winch to which Grace immediately attached to her utility vest. She continued firing at the liquid Rev, but she could only slow him down. She had no plasma shells left and the rail gun was busy pushing back the metal Rev, they couldn’t fire at the approaching liquid Rev without risking killing Grace._

_Dani watched in horror as Grace pulled the pin on a grenade and held it in her hands. Fully intending to take out the liquid Rev as soon as he got within distance._

***

“Dios Mio” Dani whispered.

***

_But the Rev was obviously more intelligent then they gave it credit for as it stopped just out of range of the grenade, so Grace threw it at him, he absorbed most of the blast, splitting almost down the centre, but still functional enough to get his body to move, so he continued his charge toward the helo._

_At this point They were high enough to take flight and Grace was being winched back up._

_“Get us out of here!” Hadrell yelled. “Harper hang on” He spoke over the edge of the craft._

***

Everyone in the room gasped

***

_Grace who’d been holding the cable and looking up at her Captain suddenly jerked violently, her face went ashen and her hands slipped free of the cable, dropping to her abdomen._

_The liquid rev had hurled its deformed body at her and managed to throw his arm through her torso. He was still trying to reform himself but had manage to get a hold of Grace before she lifted out of reach._

_“Stop the winch!” Hadrell called out_

_“Cut me loose!” she yelled up at him through obvious pain. The liquid Rev was still slowly reforming, and it wouldn’t be long before he was fully functional again and could climb the cable into the dragonfly._

_“Your laser cutter Harper!” Grace nodded and reached behind her and pulled out the small pen like device which emitted a plasma laser strong enough to cut through a two-inch steel door. She raised it above her head, ready to cut the cable_

***

“No!” Dani whispered at the screen. Mortified that Grace would have so easily cut herself free.

_***_

_“NO!” Hadrell said at the same time. “the spear soldier!” Grace looked confused for a second and then quickly sliced through the Rev’s speared arm, letting the rest of his body drop to the ground below. Her arms went limp and she lost hold of the laser cutter, moments later she passed out and her body hung like a rag doll from the cable. “Get her up here now!”_

_Several minutes of blurry shaky video later and Grace was on the floor of the Dragonfly. Semi-conscious, in pain and shaking. Somebody administered a shot of adrenalin and a shot from her med-gun. Hadrell stood back and let the two medics on board do their job but kept watch the entire time which Dani was grateful for._

_“We’re losing her” One of them yelled._

_Grace began to clearly struggle to breath, her eyes rolled back in her head and her hands went to the spear at her torso, wrapping her fingers around it trying to pull it free._

_Torez helped hold her down when the medic tried to stop her from pulling it out._

_“Can’t we just take it out now?” Torez screamed at them “_

_We don’t know what damage it’s done inside her Sergeant, we have to keep it there until we get to base._

_“Grace” Torez spoke gently to the struggling soldier. She kept on hand over Grace’s which was weakly holding the spear in her stomach and reached up to stroke her sweaty matted hair from her brow. “Grace you’re going to be fine. Just hold on”_

_Hadrell swung to the pilot who immediately answered “5 minutes”_

_“Fuck” Hadrell answered._

_One medic injected Grace with a strong sedative and immediately fed a tube down her throat, she was still semi-conscious but unable to fight the medical intervention, he completed the intubation and began pushing oxygen into her lungs._

_The other medic closely watched the heart monitor jump erratically and began cutting away the remains of Grace’s vest and top. “She’s in V-tach!” and immediately he began pumping on her chest rhythmically. Trying to get her heart to kick into a normal rhythm._

_Hadrell’s vision rarely left Grace from this point to the landing. The vision never changed. Grace unresponsive, her heart rhythm either erratic or not present, the medic breathing for her._

***

Dani felt like she was going to be sick. She excused herself and did just that out into a trash can in the hall. Evelyn shook her head at Hadrell and Torez who looked like they would follow her.

Hadrell removed the probe from his temple and looked shaken, as though he’d felt everything again.

“His fucking shoes” he shook his head.

“What?” Evelyn quietly asked.

“She knew because his fucking shoes were too clean” he pounded his fist on the table. “Her fucking gut instinct could have saved my entire unit, and I almost got them all killed!”

His anger was clear.

“You did everything I would have done Captain” Dani spoke from the door.

“Commander” He replied in surprise, not realising that she had returned.

“Nobody would have assumed they were anything other than what they were pretending to be” Dani admitted. “Grace lived through Judgement Day as a child, she lost her entire family over the course of a few years. She used her experience and her instinct to form a scenario. And that’s all it was. A possibility. They could very well have been genuine refugees, but her gut told her to prepare for another scenario”

Hadrell nodded but said nothing. They were his team, his responsibility, and he’d lost one member, had several more in the infirmary, and his most valuable asset laying in the Augment Chamber after almost losing her life.

“X-ray confirmation in addition to IR and Echo, every time from now on” Dani said firmly and the Augments in the room nodded quickly in affirmation.

Evelyn could see the tension in Hadrell’s neck and jaw and wanted to sooth him. But this was not the time nor place. So, she simply put her hand in his and conveyed strength to him.

“Amir, Spencer. Thoughts?” Dani asked. And the two scientists began rattling off theories and excited suggestions for future development. Evelyn soon joined the conversation and the room returned to organised military discussion.

***

Two hours later they exited. Dani could barely see straight she was so tired. She dismissed the soldiers but didn’t miss the look Hadrell gave Evelyn.

She smiled “you should go to him”

“Hmm?” Evelyn replied absently, already going over her notes from the briefing.

“Hadrell”

Evelyn looked up at her friend. “uhhhhh … we … we aren’t”

Dani took her friend’s had in hers and squeezed it gently, smiling. “Eve, it’s fine really. Go to him”

Evelyn took a breath, removed her glasses and nodded at her friend. She embraced her and kissed her gently on the lips before heading toward the soldier’s barracks.

Dani made her way to the Augment Chamber and noticed a marked difference already in Grace’s appearance.

“Commander” Dr Yeo called out, happy to see the Commander again.

“How’s she doing?” Dani asked eagerly.

“Remarkably well all things considered” Dr Yeo looked up at the monitors. “That power-source and those nanites really do work miracles. I suspect another three days in the chamber, and she’ll be ready to begin rehab. Field duty after probably a week”

“A week” Dani sat down heavily. She hadn’t expected to hear that Grace might be off risking her life again in just a few more days.

Dr Yeo didn’t know how to respond so she left to attend to her other patients “Commander” she said as she departed.

“Doctor” Dani acknowledged.

Dani looked up at the tank and wished they could somehow have more time.

****

“I wish we had more time” Evelyn breathed, and William nuzzled her neck and undid her shirt.

“Me too” He said. He’d wanted to have Evelyn since he landed at the base, but he knew it wouldn’t have been fair for her. He’d needed to take his frustration out, and sex had always been a good way for him to do that. But Evelyn was different. He felt a tenderness toward this gorgeous whip-smart scientist that was new and intimidating to him.

They’d initially bonded over their shared respect for the Commander, their shared goal of defeating Legion, then over their mutual enjoyment of giving the Commander a hard time over Grace. From colleagues they became friends, and much more recently, much to their surprise, they became more.

She’d had sexual relationships with men and women before, and of course, she’d had an ongoing arrangement with Dani almost since the war began, but machismo had never been her thing, so she had never really considered a soldier as a bed mate. She’d usually been attracted to intelligence and a quick mind over a hard body and a big ego. William had surprised her when she discovered that inside the behemoth of a soldier, there lay a very intelligent mind, a kind man, a gentleman, and man fiercely protective of his Commander and his team.

They’d fallen into a relationship of sorts without having meant to, but neither of them cared to modify the arrangement. They had sex when time and circumstance permitted, and they and recently begun staying overnight in each-others quarters.

Evelyn pulled his shirt off and took a moment to appreciate the impressive man before her. He was one of the second generation Augments she had overseen, and one of the ones that had survived the longest so far. Almost 10 years and still as powerful as ever. She’d always though him physically impressive, but her type usually weren’t soldiers. Especially male soldiers she grinned. But over the last few months he’d worn her down with gentle persistence and charm. Something she had no idea him capable of.

She felt his groin press into her through his pants and felt herself get wet at the thought of him. She stroked him through his fatigues, waiting for him to finish with her shirt.

“Dammit woman!” he exclaimed, his British accent accentuated by his frustration “Let me concentrate for a second” he dipped his head and kissed her, pulling her hard against his chest.

“How about we do it the easy way” she hiked up her skirt, wrapped her legs around his waist, unzipped his pants, and guided him inside her. She moaned at the immediate warm fullness and he pushed them back against the door of his quarters.

He pumped quick and hard, needing the woman in his arms, needing her comfort, needing to forget the last day. He bowed his head and bore into her.

“William” Evelyn breathed. “William” she put a hand against his cheek and brought his head back up to her. “Stay with me okay” placing gentle kisses on his face.

He nodded, and slowed his pace, watching Evelyn’s hazel eyes change and darken, watching her lips part and the pulse at her neck quicken. He kissed her pulse point and she moaned, he nipped it with his teeth, and her legs wrapped harder against his. He smiled against her neck and did it again, pushing into her a little faster, feeling her orgasm build.

“William” she panted “I’m going to come”

“Evelyn” he raised his head and held eye contact for as long as he could.

He felt her inner walls squeeze against his dick, and all it took were two hard strokes and he was coming inside her. 

He kept stroking her, feeling himself empty inside her, her soft warmth still pulsating around him, he continued to move inside her and he felt himself get hard again. He wanted this woman like nothing he’d ever wanted before.

He sunk his hand through her long curly golden locks and kissed her hard, all the while stroking himself inside her.

“The bed” she gasped. And he easily moved them together to the bed. He tried to lay her down on it, but she twitched her hips and he put himself on the edge of the bed. She was still straddling his hips and he was still deep inside her.

She rocked her hips, stroking him as she removed her top and her bra, her skirt unzipped all the way, so it too was easily removed. Her panties were still on, but she was not going to stop so she could remove them. She quirked an eyebrow at William and he easily tore them free. She laughed and pushed him back onto the bed.

She rode him slowly, needing time for her own orgasm to build again. While doing so she took him in.

She didn’t want to compare him to Dani, there was no point. They were completely different. But one of their similarities was in their need for sexual release. She’d been surprised initially by Dani’s appetite, comparing it to the men she’d been with. Big libidos, bid egos she’d originally thought. But then she came to realise that both Hadrell and Dani used sex as a way to work off the day. If the day was particularly rough, the sex would be too. She’d known that William had needed her as soon as he stepped off the carrier, but the day took them in different directions. So now, she’d try to give him what he needed.

She raised his large arms above his head and joined her fingers with his. She rose until he was almost out of her, then forcefully slammed her hips back down onto his.

“Jesus woman” He groaned.

She picked up pace, and kept her strokes fast and rough, she felt a tightening in her stomach which told her she didn’t have much time.

“Fuck me” she panted, and she got off him, turned around in the bed, asking him to fuck her from behind.

He groaned his approval and held his cock at her centre. He grabbed her hips and pushed himself inside her.

He loved taking her like this. Loved watching her back move, loved seeing himself slide inside her, loved being able to reach around and hold her breasts, squeeze her nipples. Loved holding her hips to his as he guided her back onto him.

“I’m going to come Evelyn” he grit his teeth.

“Me too love” she panted.

He reached down and began stroking her clit, she groaned her appreciation, and that’s all it took for them to both tip over the edge together.

He practically let his body fall on top of hers. Letting one of his hands support him while the other roamed her stomach and breasts. He pulled her hair back and exposed her neck again, biting into the soft delicate flesh he knew was so sensitive for her. She moaned and her hips twitched.

So he reached down and stroked her clit again, just to see if she wanted more, and as she pushed back into him, he grinned. With each twitch of her hip and each low moan, he felt himself grow inside her again, and when he could thrust again, he did, but he never lost contact with her clit.

Her arms had become boneless, and she let her top half drop onto the mattress, tilting her hips in a way for him to stimulate just the right spot. He roughly stroked her slick clit and pumped himself into her as fast as he could. He knew he wouldn’t last long this time, and he wanted Evelyn to come with him. With his free had he first squeezed then slapped her bare ass cheek, she arched her back in pleasure, so he did it again. 

“I want you to come with me Evelyn” He gruffed.

“Fuck me William” she ordered harshly. “Fuck me harder”

He took the order seriously and rammed into her roughly, the bed beneath them groaned, but with each forward thrust, Evelyn let out a moan of satisfaction.

“Fuck me” she repeated over and over again until her body stilled with its’ impending orgasm. He let go of her clit and grabbed both her breasts, curling his body over hers, and pounded hard into her impossibly wet centre.

She started to tremble and he kept fucking her. Her body started to shake properly and she let out a long loud moan and he felt himself release into her again, his own body surging into hers involuntarily and ever last drop of his cum was accepted by her tight inner walls.

Evelyn let her body go and landed stomach down onto the mattress. Hadrell caught himself and let half his body drape over hers.

He chuckled.

“Quoi?” came a very sated and tired question.

“I still have my pants on love” he chuckled again and shucked his boots and pants without disturbing his sated bed mate.

He brought her soft body close to his chest and breathed in her scent.

She snuggled back into his firm warm chest and sighed in contentment.

He felt her body slacken as sleep took over, and he brought up the sheet to cover them.

 _‘I think I might love you woman’_ he thought to himself before drifting off to sleep.

***

As predicted three days later, Grace was out of the tank and under strict bedrest orders. She had to attend medical daily for bloods and other tests, but otherwise she was free to use the day to do anything she wanted as long as it wasn’t strenuous.

 _‘Define strenuous’_ she grumbled.

She was in a pretty torrid mood by the second day out of the tank, her fifth day of recovery in total. She knew Hadrell’s team had gone on a mission without her. And she knew that her teammate Marshall was laying cold somewhere down in the morgue.

On top of that, she knew the Commander had been avoiding her, which was actually just fine considering their last words to each other.

They played over and over in her head. _‘You’re not ready!’_

 _‘And she was right. Fuck!’_ she punched the wall of her room, leaving a definite hole in the plasterboard but not caring.

She’d been out of the tank for a full day and nobody except Torez had come to see her. But even Torez was skittish. Avoiding talk of the battle, and when Grace had tried to get her into bed, Torez had politely declined, saying something about competition which Grace didn’t understand.

She was going stir crazy, she was horny, she was more tired than she was used to being, but she was also on edge and full of pent-up energy, she needed to vent some steam, so despite orders, she headed to the gym.

Dani had in fact not been avoiding the younger soldier, she had decided she’d approach Grace after she’d had a day out of the tank to rest, after her team had undoubtedly visited her and she’d had a chance to catch up on things.

She looked inside her room where she should have been and noted the fist sized hole in the wall. She smirked as she realised where Grace probably was.

She found her in the gym, and immediately the image of her and Alicia flew through her mind. She cleared her throat, and Grace instantly got to her feet and stood at attention.

“At ease soldier” Dani sighed. Things had never been this formal between them, and she missed their old interactions.

“How are you feeling” she queried as a way to engage the resistant soldier.

Grace returned to her bench presses and replied “Fine ma’am”

“Grace. how are you, really?”

“Fine”

“Grace, stop please” Dani spoke softly and crouched by the bench.

“I’m sorry for what I said. I was out of line, and I spoke from fear. You are my friend, and I knew you could get hurt or worse during that training exercise. I’ve never had a friend go through Augmentation before and it scared me. I just didn’t want you hurt. I apologise for letting my fear get the better of me”

Grace’s face flushed angrily, but she didn’t say anything for a moment.

“You were right though” Grace angrily dumped the weights onto the rack and swung herself upright on the bench.

“What?” Dani asked clearly confused.

“I wasn’t ready, I should have waited, I got Marshall killed, I almost got my whole team killed. I should have done more”

Dani took a shaky breath, realising that nobody had actually been to see her, to tell her what had actually transpired during the battle.

“Grace look at me” Grace met her eyes, full of shame and fire, bluer than normal.

“You saved your entire team” she said sincerely. “haven’t you watched your RD replay?” 

Grace opened her mouth shook her head “I tried but it I think all the recordings before my surgery got wiped when they shut the chip down. Why?” not comprehending what the Commander was telling her.

Dani sat down and told Grace what had happened as briefly as she could while leaving out the most gory and traumatic details. How she had been the only one suspicious of the Rev’s, that if her team had listened to her, they would have never landed, and the Rev’s would likely have been terminated.

“I don’t understand” Grace spoke softly. “Nobody told me, nobody’s come to see me” she bowed her head.

The door to the gym had opened a moment earlier and both Torez and Hadrell walked in “That’s because we assumed the Commander would have had you tied up in briefings all day” Hadrell said.

Dani heard the words “tied up” and ducked her head, a low blush rising to her face.

Grace stood to attention immediately.

“For fucks sake Grace” Hadrell chuckled. “You never need to salute me again do you hear” he stepped forward and picked her up in a crushing embrace. Grace was almost 6 feet tall, but Hadrell was several inches taller and significantly wider than she was. And as embarrassing as it was to be a grown woman being picked up, she felt herself return the embrace. 

“You almost died out there protecting your unit Harper” Hadrell commented. "I’m recommending you for Captain at the next round of promotions”. He put her down and thumped her shoulder.

“Sir” she stuttered. “I don’t know what to say”

“I wish I had a hundred more like you Harper. If I’d listened to you” he shook his head “Well it isn’t worth dwelling over, but still, the Resistance needs soldiers like you” he thumped her again “So, I’m glad you didn’t die” he chuckled and Dani rolled her eyes. She had never really understood men and how they showed affection, but she knew it when she saw it. And this was definitely it.

“Yeah” Torez chimed in looking slightly uncomfortable. “I’m glad you didn’t die too” she grinned at Grace who ducked her head. “Thanks for getting me to the helo” Grace looked up at her with questioning eyes.

Hadrell and Torez looked at the Commander. “Her memory is a little hazy, I’ve tried to fill her in but maybe when you’re feeling up to in, you could show her your RD replay”, nodding to Hadrell.

He rubbed the back of his neck. Even he didn’t want to watch that footage again, but if it would help Grace, he’d do it.

“Sure, just let me know when you’re ready okay Harper?”

Grace nodded “Captain”

Hadrell’s puffed out his chest a little and tapped his shoulder proudly.

“Major!” Grace grinned widely, shaking his hand. “Congratulations!”

The four of them stood in awkward silence until Hadrell cleared his throat and asked Torez to join him in the common room. Torez looked between Grace and the Commander and nodded. Turning to join him.

Grace kept her eyes on the floor, still angry at herself, angry at the Commander, just angry.

“Grace look at me”

Grace looked up defiantly

“I was afraid of you getting hurt, but more than that, I was afraid of losing my friend”

“I’m a soldier Commander” she looked at Dani “Soldiers sometimes get hurt” she stood stiffly “but friends aren’t supposed to hurt friends” she said as her eyes became glassy. Her voice spoke of the hurt she had felt these last weeks.

“lo siento Grace” Dani took a chance and stepped forward and embraced the taller soldier who initially stiffened at the contact but eventually returned the hug.

“I’ve missed our chats Grace, our work-outs, our talks, our shared meals” she squeezed her more firmly “I’ve missed you. I was so worried that you wouldn’t make it”

Grace relaxed completely, and laid her cheek on Dani’s head “I’ve missed you too”

They were silent for long moments. Both grateful to feel connected again.

“Commander” she paused “I need you to tell me that you can be my friend, but also be okay with me being in the line of fire, because honestly, I don’t want to fight with you again, and it came down to a choice, I chose the Resistance”

Dani felt like she’d been punched in the guts, but at the same time she appreciated the soldier’s earnestness. She took a moment to gather her thoughts.

“Sergeant, I send soldiers out into battle every day who I know may not return. It’s part of the burden of being the Commander” She looked up at Grace. “But that burden is lightened by the friendships I have here. And yours is important to me” she sighed. “I can’t say that I’ll eagerly sign anything that puts your life in immediate danger, but I can say that I’ll try my best to be impartial”

Grace nodded. “Good” she nodded and bent to pick up her towel and water bottle. “Because in four days I ship out for my next mission with Spec Ops”

Dani stiffened. She hadn’t seen any paperwork pass her desk about this.

“What?” She said coolly.

“Hadrell hasn’t mentioned it yet?” she swallowed, not liking the look in Dani’s eyes.

“No. No he hasn’t. How about you tell me about it, in ten, in my office Sergeant” She turned on her heels and headed to her office down the hall. She’d just finished telling Grace she would try to be impartial _‘fuck it!’_ she sighed heavily. She was going to need to tell her and it may as well be now, before her next mission possibly took Grace away from her. Her stomach became tied up in knots, and she was grateful for the few minutes she needed to try and bring her emotions under check, trying to summon the Commander.

***


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little plot in this chapter.  
> Mostly Dani and Grace gettin it on.  
> Thanks for sticking with me all.

As requested, ten minutes later there was a knock on Dani’s office door and Grace entered, dressed in her fatigue bottoms and a tank. Her usual attire when on base.

“sit” Dani said quietly.

Grace sat down and waited nervously. She caught sight of Oatmeal and immediately softened. She bent over and picked him up, and he seemed content to stay for now.

“Thank you for looking after him” Grace said gratefully.

“Of course” Dani replied softly “he’s yours Grace, and I care for him”

Grace nodded and looked back at the Commander. “The mission” she brought the conversation back around.

“Grace, you’ve just barely recovered from your last mission, what the hell makes you think your body is ready for another?!”

“My body tells me” Grace said simply, and Dani couldn’t argue. Grace’s microprocessor and RD could tell her basically everything she needed to know about her own health.

Dani breathed out a long breath “So tell me about this mission”

Grace’s eyes brightened as she told Dani how she’d received word that Hadrell had officially requesting her permanent transfer as his second in command in the Spec Ops division, potentially opening up a position for her to lead her own team.

“My first real mission as the second in command of the team is going to be a hunt and kill patrol for both Rev-7’s and Rev-9’s! The paperwork was in my room when I got back there. I just assumed you’d seen it”

Dani tried to remain calm but the quaver in her voice made her anger evident “What?”

Grace frowned at the look in Dani’s eyes “I leave in four days with Hadrell’s team. They think they’ve found a nest of 7’s and we’re going to take them out. If we find any 9’s we know how to handle them now” she said simply.

Dani’s heart lurched “No” She breathed, reaching out and taking Grace’s hand with both of hers “I won’t sign off on it Sergeant!” she said between clenched teeth and continued hastily, not wanting a repeat of their previous argument “Not until you’re fully healed”

Anger and determination flashed behind the blue of Grace’s eyes. She wrapped her long fingers around Dani’s wrists and pulled them away from her hand. “You don’t get a choice” she said through measured anger and stood up. “Dr Yeo gave me med clearance today” she said evenly “And you don’t have veto rights over Spec Ops” the corner of her lip twitched in triumph “If the Cap … Major asked for me” she breathed evenly “then he’ll have me”

“I’ll ask him to find somebody else” Dani spoke flatly even though her heart was beating like a jackhammer.

“So much for trying to be impartial” Grace whispered. Her eyes saddened and her body seemed to lose its fight. She sat herself back down in the chair at Dani’s desk and looked defeated.

She caught the Commanders’ eyes and spoke from her heart. “You always push me away, you try to protect me from God knows what, and I don’t know why because you certainly don’t seem to want me around very much” She sighed. “I want to be of service Commander. I need to be useful, to be needed, to be valued” She looked almost pleadingly into the dark eyes of the Commander. “I’m a Spec Ops Augment for fucks sake! Essentially the tip of the spear in our war with Legion. But you still treat me like that scared teenager you found in the parking lot” Her blue eyes burned into Dani's.

She knew that yet again, she was pushing the boundaries between them, but she just didn’t know what else to say.

Over the last year, Dani had been a near constant presence by Grace’s side as she healed, and eventually learned how to operate her new augmented body. The two had become firm friends, sharing time together easily, trading stories of the war, of before the war, and of their hopes for the future.

Dani had always cared for Grace, and fully knowing it was happening, she allowed her heart to open to the younger soldier. This younger version of _her_ Grace was slowly beginning to blur the line between memory and reality, and she felt herself falling even deeper in love with the Grace before her. But could she really love ‘this Grace’ could she? If she did, would it all come crashing down?

For her part, Grace had always idolised the Commander, but over time, as Dani became more three dimensional to her, her teenage awe had turned into something more tangible, a deeper understanding, unwavering loyalty and respect, then unexpectedly friendship, then lust, and inevitably, love.

She knew Dani carried some deep secret which involved her in some way. She knew it was what stopped Dani from returning a look in quiet moments, stopped her from reaching out when she knew it’s what she wanted to do.

Grace had often caught Dani looking at her with a strange combination of fear and tenderness she had long wondered about.

“Dani” Grace used her name instead of her rank, signalling an informal conversation.

Dani leant forward in her chair across from Grace and put her head in her hands. Her guts rolled because she knew things were about to change irrevocably between them.

“Yes Grace” she said without looking at the younger soldier.

“What is it about me that scares you so much?”

Dani’s head shot up in astonishment. “What?!”

“Sometimes, there are moments where I think that we are friends, close friends even, sometimes I think there are times we could be more, and I feel like you might want that too, and then there are times like this, where it feels like you just want to be rid of me, almost as though you might not even care for me” her voice wavered and tears formed in her eyes. “I need to understand”

Dani’s eyes closed as a few tears escaped. She knew she needed to tell Grace something. And it couldn’t be a lie. She reached down into her drawer and pulled out her trusty tequila bottle and two glasses. She poured two shots and passed one to Grace.

“Trust me” she sighed “You’ll need this”

She downed hers and poured another.

Grace looked dubiously at the glass before picking it up and pouring it’s burning contents down her throat.

Dani laughed at Grace’s reaction to the alcohol “I remember the look on her face the first time Carl handed her a bottle of beer, and the first time my uncle gave her a shot of Tequila” Dani said nostalgically before downing her second.

Smiling at Grace’s confused expression, knowing full well that this Grace had likely never even tasted beer or tequila before. The base had its own still making a rough equivalent of what would be considered bourbon which is what almost everybody had access to during their down time, but pre-war alcohol was a rare commodity.

“Who’s _She_ Dani?” Grace asked

Over the course of the next hour, Grace remained totally silent as Dani retold her story from 2020. How a soldier named Grace from 2042 had been sent to the past to protect Dani from a Legion Rev-9 terminator. How a woman named Sarah Connor who clearly meant something to Dani, assisted them, taught Dani to be hard, taught her how to fight, how to strategize, and mostly, how to direct all her hate, rage and grief toward Legion.

How a draper named Carl who was a terminator from another timeline had killed Sarah’s son, the leader of another timelines human resistance. How Carl became an invaluable ally. But mostly Dani spoke of Grace. How Grace always gravitated around Dani, always put herself between Dani and danger, how Grace had almost died several times trying to protect her from the Rev-9, and eventually, how Grace had ultimately sacrificed herself in order to kill the Rev-9 and save Dani.

Grace sat silently for several minutes after Dani had finished, then she took the bottle of tequila from Dani’s desk and chugged a good third of the bottle. Knowing the alcohol would only offer a temporary dulling of her senses due to her increased metabolism.

The silence seemed to stretch for ages before Grace spoke.

“Did you love her? That Grace I mean?” She looked up at Dani and saw the truth before she even spoke.

“Si” Dani sighed. “But we never spoke of it, we barely had three days together, and almost all of that was spent running. But in those three days, yes, I loved her”

Grace nodded her understanding. “So, I remind you of her. But I’m not her, I can’t be her” she said almost sadly.

“It’s more than that Grace”

Grace waited for Dani to continue.

“If you and I were to … “she ran her hands through her hair and grabbed the bottle from Grace, finishing the contents. “I don’t know how this all works. Can we create our destinies with every choice we make, or is fate already decided?” She looked into the hurt crystal blue eyes in front of her and for a moment she just didn’t care. She stood up and circled the table, leaning against the edge she reached down and stroked Grace’s face.

“You are so very much like her it terrifies me, but it also delights me, and ignites me”

Grace met Dani’s eyes and saw a flicker of desire behind them.

“But each time I try to change the course of what I know our future could be, it seems to always correct itself. And I’m not willing to let our paths lead us to the point where you follow a Rev-9 into the past to protect me. I care too much for you to let you do that again” She let the tears fall. Finally unburdened of her secret, she could be totally open with Grace for the first time, and it felt both wonderful and scary.

Grace silently placed her hand over the Commanders which was still on her cheek. She stood, and with her other hand, she pulled Dani’s head to meet hers. “There is no fate but what we make for ourselves” she whispered. “That’s what you’ve always said, and it’s what I believe”

She tilted her head and captured the Commanders lips in a gentle kiss. “If we are together, it’s because we decide to be, not because fate said so” she kissed Dani deeper and Dani wrapped her hand around Grace’s strong shoulders and neck.

Grace broke the kiss briefly and caught the Commander’s dark eyes “and if the time ever comes where your life is in danger, and I can protect it, I will. Not because fate said so, but because my heart says so” She pulled Dani to her again and deepened the kiss.

Dani’s heart raced. She had imagined what Grace’s lips would feel like against hers, not in a rushed fevered kiss like the one they shared in the gym years ago, but a deep, mutual, passionate kiss like this one. Imagination had nothing on reality. In that moment, her heart quietly wrapped up the Grace of the past and said goodbye, securing her away safely, so that it had room for the Grace in front of her now.

Their kiss deepened and Grace’s strong arms wrapped themselves tightly around Dani’s smaller body, bringing her closer so that they melded together.

Dani’s body was on fire. Years of pent up desire was finally set free, and the tequila allowed her to be brave in ways she wouldn’t normally. She broke the kiss and whispered into Grace’s ear “Make love to me?”

Grace pulled back slightly, seeing Dani’s desire match her own was one thing, but she had to know for sure “Are you sure Dani?” she kissed the smaller woman’s lips tenderly.

Dani nodded and silently pulled them outside the office, past the barracks, into the highly guarded north tunnel, down the private elevator and into her personal quarters several stories underground.

Grace felt like she’d followed the Commander in a trance. But now, inside the warmly lit room, seeing the bed, she quickly sobered.

Her quarters were simple, and functional. A small desk, a coffee machine, a small kitchenette, a shower, a desk/kitchen table, toilet, and a generous queen size bed. Grace hadn’t seen a proper bed like this in a long time and she swallowed heavily.

“Dani, we don’t have to do this right now” she said earnestly. Part of her wondering if Dani was perhaps a little too intoxicated.

“Grace” she breathed. "I know this is going to sound all kinds of strange, but I wanted Grace to make love to me 20 years ago, and then she died. And now, somehow, you’ve worked your way back into my life and my heart, and ever since that day I watched you in that classroom, I’ve wanted you in my bed. You, you” she placed a hand on Grace’s chest. “Not past you” she said reassuringly. “It’s hard for me to separate you at times, but you” she pressed her hand again over Grace’s heart “You are real, and here, and for some reason you want me the same way I want you” she grinned. “So yes, Grace, I am very sure I want this”

Grace gulped as her throat suddenly became very dry. She had fantasised about the Commander since she was old enough to know sex between two women was a thing. And now it seemed as though her fantasy was about to become reality, and she wasn’t sure she could live up to that.

Dani sensed Grace’s hesitation and sobered quickly. She cupped her hands around Grace’s cheeks, an endearment Grace was quickly growing fond of, and kissed her softly.

“Have you …” she hesitated “I mean, have you had sex … with a woman before?” She asked earnestly, already knowing the answer as the image of her and Torez flashed before her again but needing to make sure Grace was comfortable.

Grace had to bite her cheek to stop the cocky smile from spreading.

“Oh, I see” Dani teased and returned the smile.

“Oh, come on Dani!” Grace groaned “you can’t seriously think that the soldiers don’t fool around together”

“Oh, I absolutely know they fool around Grace” Dani said with a knowing smile. “I was just making sure you would be comfortable if I got naked in front of you”

Grace suddenly lost her voice and Dani laughed.

“I am the Commander Grace, it’s no small thing for me to get naked in front of another person” Dani said as she shucked her shoes, pulled her shirt over her head, and dropped her pants, leaving herself only in her underwear.

Grace opened her mouth to speak but her brain had short-circuited when Dani’s flesh was exposed to her eyes. Smooth, taught, brown expanses of warm skin that she just wanted to touch, to kiss.

“Grace” Dani’s soft voice brought Grace back to attention.

“Uhhhh” she cleared her throat “yes, sure, of course I’d be comfortable Commander” Grace fumbled.

“Dani” she corrected

“Huh?” Grace frowned.

“When we’re together, I want you to call me Dani” She pushed a silent Grace easily onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

She straddled her hips and pushed her hands underneath Grace’s tank top. Feeling the hard muscle underneath, the warm skin. She pushed her hand higher and cupped Grace’s breasts. It had always intrigued, and often distracted Dani that Grace never wore a bra. And now she was extremely grateful for it.

Grace moaned her approval and placed her hands on Dani’s thighs, squeezing them gently.

Dani pulled on Grace’s tank and managed to pull it over her head and off her body.

Silently, Dani tugged at Grace’s belt, and quickly Grace shucked her shoes before Dani pulled her pants down and off her long legs.

Grace wore boyleg underwear which didn’t surprise Dani in the least. She smiled as she replayed their numerous encounters and the cocky, confident demeanour that always seemed to surround the soldier. Somehow feminine panties just didn’t seem her style as a Spec Ops augment soldier.

Dani lay her body back on top of Grace’s and enjoyed the feel of the soldiers’ warm body beneath hers. The firm muscle along almost every inch she touched.

Grace’s body turned Dani on like nothing had before. The sleekness of it, the muscles, the long limbs, the soft skin, the dip of her hips, and the length of her neck, her gorgeous face, her strong jaw, and mesmerising eyes, and yeah, all those muscles.

Dani had never pretended not to be hedonistic, she sought pleasure when her body wanted it, with whomever she was attracted to at the time. The world was at war, and nobody really knew if tonight was their last, so every encounter was heightened by a combination of need, fear, and pleasure.

In the years they spent together after Mexico and after Judgement Day, Sarah had taught her to seize every good moment with both hands and to hold on tight, because the bad ones were all too frequent, especially in their world. So she had. She gave into her physical desires when an opportunity presented itself. Sex was an excellent way to relieve stress, to stock up on human touch, and to connect with another person. Something the war with Legion didn’t often allow. She’d had lovers for a single night, a week, and sometimes several months, but inevitably, her desires shifted, or the war shifted, and so too eventually would her bed partner. Evelyn was the only exception to that, and Dani knew that would also have to change.

Grace did something else to Dani. Not just physically. She shifted something deeper inside her. Dani felt that as soon as she had had Grace, she would never want, nor need another person in her bed. And that, strangely enough, was fine with her.

Grace sensed the shift in Dani’s attention and used her distraction to tilt her hips and flip their positions on the bed. She grinned at Dani’s outraged look and couldn’t help but capture her lips in a deep kiss.

Dani’s hips twitched, and Grace recognised her mounting desire.

She kissed her way down Dani’s neck, to her bra, where she nuzzled her cleavage. She reached one had underneath them and unclasped Dani’s bra with one hand, grinning at her own deftness.

The grin disappeared as soon as she saw Dani’s exposed breasts.

“Beautiful” She murmured as she dipped her head to capture a nipple.

“Me or my breasts” Dani quipped at Grace’s comment.

“Both” Grace replied without hesitation as she moved to the other breast and paid it the same attention.

Dani could feel herself getting wetter, and as much as she wanted their first time to be slow and tender, her body felt like it had 20 years of pent up sexual attraction ready to be released. She reached down and pulled her own panties down to her thighs, and Grace took the hint and pulled them the rest of the way down.

She quickly removed her own and climbed back on top of Dani. Capturing her lips again in a kiss that took both their breaths away.

“I need you now” Dani gasped as she grabbed Grace’s wrist and guided it down to her centre.

Grace closed her eyes as her fingers found the slickness between Dani’s legs, and she felt herself become wetter. She stroked through Dani’s soft folds, listened to the soft moans of pleasure and felt the slight twitch of her hips.

She came to Dani’s centre and held a finger at her opening, locking eyes with the smaller woman, seeking consent.

“Please” Dani breathed as her hips rose to meet the long finger which slid smoothly inside her, Dani was impossibly wet, so Grace slipped a second finger inside, and Dani’s head lolled back onto the bed. Her back arched and her lips parted in a low moan.

At the sound, Grace parted her legs and lowered her own hot centre onto Dani’s firm thigh, letting out a groan of pleasure as Dani rose to apply firmer pressure.

They were locked together, both now slick with sweat. Grace, braced powerfully with one arm on top of the smaller woman, rocking smoothly into the body below her.

Dani dug her blunt nails into the firm muscle of Grace’s back and pulled the lithe woman’s body closer. The long fingers inside her filling her, stretching her, yet she wanted more, needed more.

“Grace” she breathed, unable to form coherent words

Grace felt the smaller woman’s urgency and gently slipped a third finger inside her wet folds. Dani let out a groan of satisfaction and her hips picked up pace.

Grace could feel a liquid warmth build low in her belly. She knew she wouldn’t last long with Dani making the sounds she was making. She tilted her hips slightly so that Dani’s thigh came into direct contact with her clit, and her head dropped towards Dani’s exposed throat as electricity seemingly surged through her body.

“Dani” she breathed reverently between placing rough kisses along the corded muscle of Dani’s neck. The now forceful rocking of her hips mirroring the strokes of her fingers inside the smaller woman. She could feel Dani’s legs begin to tremble and bore down harder. They were both so close.

“fuck” Dani moaned. Her breath stopped in her chest, and her hip stilled, suspended ever so slightly off the bed. She braced herself for the coming climax as Grace continued her now almost fevered movements. Grace rocking harshly against her hard thigh, coating it in her wetness. Dani’s centre still receiving Grace’s plunging fingers. Her whole body began to tremble but she held on, waiting for Grace.

“Come with me Grace” Dani panted into the blonde’s ear.

The request was all Grace needed as she surged forward once more, and her body arched. Dani struggled to hold onto the writhing woman on as her own orgasm swept through her.

Mirrored moans of pleasure filled the room and both women rode their own and each other’s climax. Wave after excruciatingly blissful wave of pleasure rocked them both for long moments until the room became silent except for their harsh breathing.

Grace had stilled and was revelling in the sensation of Dani’s inner walls milking her fingers. Her ears were ringing and she wasn’t sure she wasn’t crushing the woman below her, but she was loath to remove her fingers from their tight, warm nest. Dani’s soft, pleasure filled mews were enough to encourage her to remain where she was.

Dani’s head was spinning and her limbs had become boneless. She tried to catch her breath while taking in the vision above her and the sensation still within her. She felt Grace’s taught body begin to tremble ever so slightly above her, so she twisted slightly in the bed and pulled Grace alongside her.

“I’ve heard that you’re supposed to be under strict bedrest soldier”

Grace’s sweaty head came to rest of Dani’s shoulder. The exertion in the gym, their emotional exchange, the alcohol, and the exertion in Dani’s bed, had left her more tired than she could recall being in a long time, and as perfect as the moment was, she felt her eyelids begin to close. 

“mmmm” Grace murmured, before falling asleep.

Dani grinned and kissed her lover’s sweaty forehead. Grace’s arm was around her waist, and she’d thrown a leg over one of Dani’s, effectively pinning the smaller woman to the bed. Dani smiled again. She loved the heavy feel of the sleeping woman draped over her. She stroked the smooth expanse of Grace’s back, her leg, her arm, soothing herself into a trancelike state where she too dropped off into a dreamless sleep.

When Grace woke, it was early the next morning, the bed was empty but there was a letter on the pillow next to her.

_“Grace, last night was wonderful. Please, stay here and rest, order anything you need, I’ll hope to see you tonight? D x”_

Grace smiled and fell back onto the pillow, taking in Dani’s scent. Yesterday was so many things, but how it had ended was beyond anything Grace had ever dreamed.

She fell back asleep within minutes and the next time she awoke there was a tray of food on the bedside table and another note on the pillow next to hers.

_“I didn’t want to wake you. Please try to eat something. Dr Yeo wants to see you in the med bay for a check-up. Perhaps we can have dinner together tonight? Ps. I could watch you sleep all day. D x”_

Grace smiled again and stretched lazily. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d slept a day away. Her stomach growled and she decided that food took priority over sleep at the moment. Her RD was showing low blood glucose as well as some electrolyte imbalance, and she didn’t want to have to resort to her meds, so she ate everything on the tray, chicken and rice, an orange, chocolate pudding, and a large cannister of still warm chicken soup. Grace smiled at Dani’s attentiveness. The serving on the tray was definitely larger than what they served up in mess. And she was pretty sure the last time she had chocolate pudding, it was Christmas. _‘perks of being the Commander’_ she smirked.

She got up and decided to take a shower. She spent way longer under the hot water than she normally would have. Her still stiff and recovering body grateful for the warmth.

When she exited, she noticed that Dani had also left a stack of clean clothes out on the desk. A clean tank, clean fatigues, even clean underwear. She smiled as she wondered how she explained this to the laundry service. Shrugging it away as even more perks of being the Commander.

Feeling rested, clean, and well fed, she decided to go find Dr Yeo for her daily check-up. It was already sixteen hundred, but she knew the doctor would be there well into the evening. She took the private lift back into the tunnel. Acknowledging the guards on post but trying not to make eye contact.

She reached the med bay in no time and was greeted by a slightly frustrated doctor.

“How am I supposed to keep a track of your progress when you won’t keep regular appointments?”

Grace ducked her head sheepishly and hopped onto the closest exam table. Removing her top and laying down.

“I’m sorry Doc” She said honestly.

Dr Yeo’s eyes smiled and she proceeded to run her checks. Pressing on Grace’s abdomen in various places, checking for tenderness or swelling. Pressing her stethoscope to Grace’s chest in various regions and getting her to breathe deeply.

“any changes since yesterday”

Grace quirked a smile _‘only the whole world’_ but answered “noting I’ve noticed. I have still been having trouble with my memory, but bits and pieces are coming back”.

Dr Yeo Nodded. She flashed her penlight into both of Grace’s eyes and asked her to open her mouth. She then drew some blood and snapped off her gloves.

“Okay, well, there’s still some swelling around your liver, the entry and exit wounds have healed nicely, and your lungs sound clear. I’ll see you in a week Captain she smiled, and Grace smiled back as she pulled her top back over her head

“Not Captain yet Doc”

*****

Grace paced her room in a bundle of nerves. Dani had suggested dinner together, but she didn’t know exactly what that meant. Was she supposed to go back to her quarters? Was she supposed to meet her in the mess and literally eat dinner together? She plonked down on her cot and Oatmeal jumped up onto her lap.

“What am I going to do boy” She asked the cat sincerely “One day” she took his face in her hands and kissed his furry head “One day and she’s got me all tied up in knots” Oatmeal meowed his understanding and headbutted her stomach. She lay back down in her cot, hoping to gather her thoughts, but a wave of fatigue washed over her and before she knew it, she was asleep. Oatmeal purring contentedly by her side. 

She woke with a start, the room was dark which meant it was already nightfall. “Fuck!” she rubbed her face and swung her legs off her cot. Oatmeal meowed his protest but curled back up on the warm patch she just left.

“Fuck!” she said louder. And threw water over her face. She had no idea where she was supposed to meet Dani, and now she’d slept most of the evening away.

She pulled the door to her room open and almost fell back. Dani was leaning against the opposite wall, dressed in jeans and a yellow t-shirt. Her hair, cut short and pulled back since her accident had been set loose and framed her face is short waves. Grace felt her throat go dry and she couldn’t find words.

“Grace” Dani smiled.

“Dani” Grace answered back a little embarrassed. Memories of their night together flooding her mind and she found herself not knowing how to act or what to say.

“I wasn’t sure if you were going to sleep the night away, so I took a chance and posted myself here just in case” Dani’s eyes sparkled. She was genuinely happy to see the tall soldier.

Grace rubbed the back of her neck “Ummm, yeah, I’m sorry. Seems I was asleep every time you came to check on me today huh?” She smiled embarrased.

Dani approached Grace and laid a hand on her waist “Don’t apologise Grace, you might be an Augment, but you’re still recovering and need to rest”

As soon as Dani’s hand touched her body, a surge of lust-filled courage flew through her. It felt like it would burn a hole through her clothing. She honestly didn’t hear a word Dani said after her hand touched her.

“I need you” she breathed and pulled Dani into her room and quickly closed the door. She pinned Dani to the back of the door and kissed her deeply, her hands roaming across every inch of the smaller woman’s body that they could reach.

They broke away, both breathless.

“Well” Dani smiled. “Not the greeting I was expecting” She reached up and brought Grace’s head back down to hers “But I’m definitely not complaining”

Grace picked Dani up and felt her legs encircle her waist. She pressed back harder into the door, needing more contact, becoming frustrated with the amount of clothing they both still had on.

She deftly pulled Dani’s T-shirt over her head and removed her own tank top. She pressed her heated skin against Dani’s and sighed in pleasure.

“I’ve missed you” she spoke into the older woman’s ear.

“Me too Grace” Dani whispered. Dani’s hips pushed into Grace’s pelvis and she impatiently reached down between them, undoing first hers then Grace’s buttons and zippers.

Grace managed to pull her fatigues down around her knees but couldn’t remove Dani’s jeans without getting her to unwrap her legs which she was definitely not going to do.

She reached down and curled her fingers underneath the thin material of Dani’s underwear and managed to find her soft patch of curls.

“Grace” Dani breathed, and dug her fingers into the strong muscle of Grace’s back, urging her forward.

Grace dipped further and her fingers slipped through wet folds “God Dani” she breathed “You’re so wet” She took a deep breath of the smaller woman’s’ arousal and began stroking her fingers through her folds.

Dani clung onto Grace, and from the corner of her eye she managed to catch their reflection in the mirror above the small sink. Grace’s broad muscular back and hips flexing in time with her strokes. Her firm ass clenching with each thrust of her hips.

A brief memory of Grace with Torez in the shower flashed before her eyes, and instead of igniting jealousy, it turned her on. Watching Grace’s powerful body move was an aphrodisiac like no other, and even if her memory of it was Grace with another woman, it still turned her on. But as she looked into the mirror now, it was her face staring back at her, and it was her body Grace was moving against. Dani pushed her head back against the door and looked Grace in the eyes.

“Inside” she breathed and Grace quickly complied. Inserting two fingers inside Dani’s tight centre, stroking both her clit and her inner walls with each thrust.

Grace leant down and kissed Dani deeply, taking her tongue insider her mouth pulling deeply. She sucked gently on Dani’s lips and moved her kisses to Dani’s neck where she found a soft dip, she was very fond of and sucked gently.

“Grace” Dani panted, her legs beginning to tremble.

Grace kept her pace, and sucked harder on Dani’s pulse point, careful not to mark the tender skin, but hard enough to push Dani closer to the edge.

Dani wrapped her hands through Grace’s short hair, and drew her head back up, kissing her as her orgasm started. She moaned into Grace’s mouth and Grace deepened the kiss.

Dani’s grip on Grace’s head turned to gentle strokes along her back and Grace gingerly turned them around and laid Dani on her bed. She looked down in the Dark eyes of her lover and her stomach clenched with desire. She dipped her head again and kissed Dani for long minutes, letting her hands explore the firm breasts, her taught stomach, the delicious curve of her hips. She wanted to touch every inch she could get her hands on.

“Grace” Dani panted

“mmmm” Grace responded around a very firm nipple.

“Grace” Dani cupped Grace’s chin and pulled her face up. “We have to go to dinner”

Grace’s brow furrowed “What? I thought?” she pulled back, looking at her watch. “Dani, it’s almost 9 at night, the mess is closed”

Dani laughed and kissed the tall soldier. She jumped out from under her and started doing up her pants, reaching for her bra and t-shirt.

“I made reservations” She smiled lightly.

Grace groaned and fell back to the bed. “Dani, you can’t expect me to concentrate through a meal right now can you”

“Not only do I expect you to concentrate soldier” Dani clasped her bra and pulled her shirt back over her head. “I expect you to be an attentive dinner partner” She bent down and grabbed Grace’s hands, pulling her up. She kissed her squarely on the lips and stroked her cheek.

“For me?” Dani asked earnestly.

Grace smiled slowly “You’re not fair Commander” she blew out a long breath. “Very not fair” as she stood up and buttoned up her pants then found her tank top and pulled it over her head. She looked in the mirror and tried to straighten her unruly hair, turning toward the Commander and signalling that she was ready.

Dani approached Grace seductively and reached up behind her neck, pulling her head down for a scorching kiss. With her other hand, she pressed firmly into Grace’s very warm crotch, rubbing her palm in a tight circular motion.

“Dani” Grace warned and cupped the smaller woman’s’ denim covered ass, pulling her in tight.

“Just something to keep your engines running soldier” she smiled and broke free, practically sashaying towards Grace’s door.

Grace cleared her head and steadied her legs. _‘Okay, so that’s how she’s going to play it’_ She thought with a grin. She had absolutely no objections.

She followed Dani into the mess, which was dark except for the far table where Dani and Hadrell and a few of the other higher-ups usually sat.

There were candles burning in glass jars, illuminating the table in a warm glow.

Two places were set, opposite each other, at the end of the table, Grace could tell just by looking that they were fine ceramic plates, silverware which wasn’t normally used in the mess, and actual glassware instead of the metal or plastic they used every day.

Dani guided Grace to one place setting and gestured for her to sit, opening up the folded linen cloth and draping it over Grace’s lap.

Dani made her way around the table and sat herself down, doing the same with her napkin.

Grace leaned in and whispered to Dani “what is this?”

Dani grinned and her smile broadened as one of the cooks came out of the kitchen carrying a covered tray of food that smelled like heaven to Grace.

“Commander” the cook gestured to Dani and set the tray down.

“Now Bruce, you know better than that” she smiled warmly at the large black man who instantly smiled back and chuckled.

“I’ve prepared a few of your favourites tonight Dani” he said, a clear note of pride in his voice. “Would you like me to dish up?”

“No, that’s okay Bruce” she touched his arm warmly “thank you for doing this”

“Are you kidding me!?” he scoffed. “It’s a goddammed pleasure to feel like a chef again every once in a while” he left the table with a twinkle in his eye.

“Dani?” Grace whispered even more confused

“Shhh mi amor.” She lifted the covers off the tray and exposed the feast below “I wanted to have dinner with you tonight, and I wanted it to be special” she cracked the bottle of 30 year old wine and poured them both a glass “Bruce used to be a Micheline chef before Judgement day, he still dabbles every now and then for the mess, but loves it when I put in special requests” she winked “It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, he really goes all out”

Grace’s mouth watered at the food on display, and her stomach joined in. Dani laughed and started plating up some of the feast.

“Roast pheasant stuffed with chestnuts, wild mushrooms, garlic and butter” she placed one on each of their plates. “Pan seared, garden fresh vegetables with cracked salt and pepper” she spooned the fresh carrots, beans, and zucchini onto their plates “and mashed potato with butter, cream and chives” she dolloped a heap onto each of their plates. She then poured a sweet sauce over the meal “a reduce red wine jus”

Grace groaned, leaning forward and inhaling all the delicious aromas. “How did he get all of this?” she asked in awe.

“It’s all here growing on the base or in the Settlements Grace, some of it in our stockpile she gestured to the wine. But it’s obviously not something we can dish up every night, so I try to save Bruce’s talents for big occasions. Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, and occasional birthdays for some of the staff”

Grace noticed one uncovered dish and went to lift the lid. Dani immediately swatting her hand away.

“Patience Grace” she said with another delightful smile. She leant over the table and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Her lover’s enthusiasm for food never failed to make her heart melt.

“Buen provecho” she toasted and raised her glass to Grace, who immediately reciprocated.

The wine was initially bity and made the back of her mouth tingle in a funny way, but the spices and flavour of plumbs, chocolate, and cherries came through and she swallowed appreciatively.

Grace took her first mouthful of the food, closed her eyes and moaned in delight.

Dani almost choked on her mouthful hearing her lover make sounds she’d only ever previously heard in bed.

“Oh my god” Grace exclaimed and moaned around another mouthful.

Dani leaned forward and whispered “Grace. Keep making those sounds and I’ll take you right here on the table” Dani’s eyes were dark with arousal and Grace wasn’t sure if she was serious or not. She swallowed her mouthful quietly.

Dani grinned and continued enjoying her meal. She had to admit, Bruce was one hell of a talented chef. All the flavours went together perfectly. None too complex or overwhelming.

She watched Grace continue to appreciate her food across the table. She’d exchanged verbally expressing her appreciation to occasionally putting her utensils down and closing her eyes in silent appreciation.

Dani’s mouth went dry. _’Is this how she lives life?’_ Appreciating in every detail all the pleasures she had gone long without. Dani felt a burst of love spring into her chest, and tears burn behind her eyes. Almost two decades of war, and countless lives lost had taken the shine off a lot of things for Dani. She still tried her best to be kind and express gratitude when it was earned. But she had a feeling that Grace still carried with her the ability to express pure joy and enjoyment when something carried her away. Oatmeal was a prime example of that. The fact that Grace had taken him in, cared for him and loved him unconditionally in a time when, as unpleasant as it may have seemed, he could have been her next meal, showed just how open Grace was to letting the good into her life.

“Dani” Grace queried.

“Si!” Dani shook herself out of her musings. “Sorry, I was just thinking” she smiled and continued eating her meal.

“Anything you’d like to share?” Grace offered.

Dani smiled at the tall woman lovingly and shook her head “I was just thinking how soft I’ve become that I now enjoy watching you eat and sleep more than I enjoy almost anything else in life at the moment” she laughed at Grace’s surprised expression “well, almost anything else” she lowered her tone suggestively and Grace audibly swallowed her mouth-full.

Dani pulled her foot out of her shoe and raised it toward Grace’s crotch underneath the table.

Grace almost jumped off her seat when she first felt Dani’s foot, but heat quickly flooded her body and all of a sudden, she wasn’t as interested in finishing the small portion of her meal that remained on her plate.

“Dani” Grace said between clenched teeth, looking back toward the kitchen doors.

Dani simply smiled and kept eating. Stroking her foot along Grace’s thigh, toward her centre, then along the other thigh.

She could feel herself getting wet again and imagined the state Grace must be in, not having had any relief in her room earlier. The memory of how Grace held her hard against the door, the way her powerful back moved, made her push her foot more firmly into Grace’s crotch.

Grace shifted her hips forward and groaned quietly. She reached down and grasped Dani’s petite foot in her large hand, squeezing it gently. She leant back in her seat and spread her legs just a little more, letting Dani push firmly into her heated centre.

Finding herself mesmerised by the rising flush on Grace’s neck all she wanted to do was go to her lover, but she extricated her foot and waited until Grace slowly opened her darkened blue eyes and looked at her.

“not yet” She said underneath hooded eyes.

Grace blew out a large breath as straightened herself in her chair, she could feel her pulse in her clit and her pants were now decidedly more uncomfortable, but she’d play along with Dani’s game.

She distracted herself with the last few mouthfuls of the delicious food and placed a hand over her very full stomach. Sighing in satisfaction.

“good?” Dani asked with a smirk

“So good” Grace agreed eagerly, she swallowed another mouthful of the delicious wine and put her glass down “Dani, thank you for this” she said sincerely. “I can’t remember the last time food tasted this good!” she smiled brightly “And thank you for asking me to share it with you”

Dani ducked her head, blushing a little “You’re welcome Grace” she swallowed the last of her wine from her glass and looked at the remaining tray “ready for dessert?” she grinned.

“Is that even a question?” she replied eagerly.

Dani laughed and picked up the lid of the tray and Grace gasped. Underneath were four perfect chocolate covered strawberries. Grace leaned closer. She hadn’t tasted a fresh strawberry in she couldn’t remember how long.

Dani picked one up, and held it out to Grace who raised her hand to take it, but Dani shook her head. Grace put her hand back down and leant in, wrapping her lips around the juicy fruit, making sure to brush her lips against Dani’s as she bit into it and drew it into her mouth.

Dani was sure she had almost cum. The combination of Grace’s features, lit by the candle light, her beautiful blue eyes filled with appreciation and lust, and her warm mouth against her fingers sent a surge of arousal through her so powerful it made her gasp.

She wasn’t sure they would make it through the four pieces of fruit but she was going to try goddamit!

This time Grace held out a strawberry for Dani. Dani grasped Grace’s strong wrist and held her hand steady. She pulled the strawberry into her mouth and slowly drew it back out, keeping eye contact with Grace the whole time. She wrapped her lips around it again and bit it off at its stem, and as the juice dripped down Grace’s fingers, she made sure to catch it with her lips.

Grace was clenching the edge of her chair and breathing heavily. She closed her eyes as Dani’s tongue traced over her fingers, catching the sweet juice.

That was it. Dani couldn’t keep herself in check. She jumped from her seat and into Grace’s lap. The strawberry juice still fresh in her mouth and she drew her lovers’ tongue inside.

Grace instinctively wrapped her arms around Dani’s back and drew her in tight. Returning the kiss with equal vigour.

“Mmmm” Grace pulled away, again glancing at the kitchen doorway “What about …” But she was silenced by Dani’s mouth.

“Bruce” she kissed “left” slowly down Grace’s neck “as soon” to her thundering pulse-point at the base of her neck “as he brought us the food” she nibbled at the strong pulse and reached down to Grace’s pants.

Grace tried to help her, but Dani pulled her arms away and pulled them back behind her, asking her silently to keep them in place.

Grace smiled slowly and reached down, able to grip the spot on her chair where the legs met the base and held firmly. She tilted her hips and opened her legs just a little. Trying to let her body settle into a more relaxed pose.

Dani showed her appreciation for her lovers’ cooperation by pushing another strawberry between her lips, but as Grace accepted it, Dani’s mouth joined hers, and they kissed around the mixture of sweet chocolate, and sticky fruit. Every drip of juice that escaped their kiss was quickly licked away by Dani’s quick tongue.

Grace’s head lolled back as she swallowed her half of the fruit, and immediately Dani latched onto her long neck with her lips. Kissing, and licking and nipping until Grace was moaning again and her hips began to switch.

Dani again reached down between Grace’s legs and opened her zip. Inserting her fingers and gasping in surprise at how wet Grace had become. She kissed her lover while stroking her folds. She found her clit and focused her attention on the small bundle of nerves, rubbing her fingers quickly over it again and again rapidly.

Grace’s orgasm took her by surprise, and she gripped the legs of the chair as though her life depended on it. Her hips surged upward but her lover managed to remain attached to her.

Dani kept circling Grace’s clit. Knowing that the quick orgasm had been one that had been building since before dinner. She let herself off Grace, and without losing contact with Grace’s centre, she pulled Grace’s pants and underwear down around her ankles. She spread her knees wide and knelt on the ground between her legs.

Grace felt her second orgasm thunder closer just at the sight of Dani between her legs.

Dani squeezed Grace’s strong thighs and dipped her head towards Grace’s wet centre. Both women moaning when her lips made contact.

Grace let go of the chair and tried to push Dani’s head closer to her, but Dani wordlessly guided Grace’s hands back behind her in a silent order to remain bound to the chair.

Grace let her head fall back between her shoulder-blades and just let her body feel what Dani was doing to it.

Dani reached both hands up underneath Grace’s tight top and squeezed her nipples, all the while running her tongue through Grace’s soft centre. As she got the tight nub of flesh covering her clitoris, Dani squeezed Grace’s nipples and Grace moaned her appreciation.

Dani sucked and pulled the bundle of nerves from underneath its hood and began sucking it back and forth between her lips.

Grace began to thrust her hips in time with Dani’s suction. She was close to the edge, but Dani let her ride it for long moments, letting her fall into an almost trance like state where her body had almost floated out of itself.

But it didn’t take long before Dani felt Grace’s thighs begin to tremble and she inserted two fingers into Grace’s centre. Pulling harder on her clit and squeezing the one nipple she kept between her fingers.

The combination tipped Grace over, not into a violent orgasm, but into one that gently washed over her body in soothing waves. She moaned for long moments unable to form coherent though as the pleasure took over every one of her senses.

Dani remained where she was on the floor between Grace’s legs and began placing delicate kisses along her inner thighs and on her belly, waiting for Grace to return to her body.

When she did, she felt boneless and exhausted.

“What did you do to me” Grace breathed with a smile in her voice.

“I’m glad you liked” Dani answered back and climbed back into Grace’s lap.

“I liked very much” Grace let go of the back of the chair and again wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. Kissing her neck and cleavage through her t-shirt. She could feel the hitch in Dani’s breathing and the twitch of her hips.

She quickly undid Dani’s jeans and plunged two fingers into her. Knowing how wet she’d be, and likely how much she’d need release, Grace was not taking her time. She used her strong forearms to brace her hand, and with her other hand, grasped the small of Dani’s back and guided her forcefully down onto her fingers.

Grace slipped a third into her, and as Dani’s head came to rest on Grace’s shoulder, Grace again bit gently into the soft neck at her lips.

They both panted as Dani neared her orgasm. Dani pushing her pelvis harshly down onto Grace’s long fingers, and Grace encouraging her, breathing out a lust filled “yes” every time Dani’s centre took her fingers.

“yes” Grace murmured over and over again.

Dani wrapped her arms tightly across Grace’s shoulders and bore down harder and faster. “Grace” she panted.

“Yes” was all Grace replied in turn.

And with that Dani’s back arched and she threw her head back. Her hips still surging forward as the orgasm took over her body.

“Dani” Grace whispered reverently over and over as the smaller woman continued to stroke Grace’s fingers slowly as her inner walls continued to contract.

Dani’s felt the aftershocks of the orgasm fade and she wearily let herself relax against Grace’s firm body. She breathed into Grace’s neck and placed small kisses against every patch of skin her lips could reach without her having to move her head from its’ comfortable resting place.

They remained locked together like that for ages. Each breathing the other in, nether wanting to be the first to break contact, but eventually, Dani slipped into sleep and Grace began to laugh at the position they were in.

Dani woke immediately, flushed with embarrassment, she was instantly alert. Pulling herself off Grace, pulling her pants back on, and grabbing the half-finished bottle of wine from the table.

Grace had also pulled her pants back up and tried to pull her shirt back into some sort of order.

She knew that anyone who saw them now would know what they’d just done, and a wave of heat rose to her face.

Dani noticed it and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Grace shook her head and finished buckling her belt.

Dani took Grace’s hand and led them down the hall. As Grace slowed by her room, Dani leant close and whispered for her to grab a change of clothes and her toothbrush. She blushed again but did as she was asked.

Oatmeal protested, and she scooped him up as well.

Together the three of them made the short trip back to the heavily guarded tunnel and the private elevator. Grace squeezed Dani’s hand just a little tighter and kept her eyes glued to the ground.

Dani punched in the daily code for the descent and placed her finger on the pad which drew a drop of blood for DNA confirmation, security protocols Grace had obviously missed in her haze the night before. Immediately, the elevator began its descent and Grace let Oatmeal drop to the floor and explore the new scents.

“Wanna tell me what’s up?” Dani queried gently.

Grace shifted uncomfortably but didn’t say anything.

They entered Dani’s quarters, and immediately Dani went to the small kitchenette and got two glasses out. Pouring two generous serving into the glasses, finishing of the remainder of the bottle.

Dani handed Grace one with a gentle smile and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Oatmeal busied himself exploring all the new, but not new, scents, settling on curling up on the cool tile floor of the bathroom.

The two women sat in silence. Dani wanting Grace to confide in her, but not wanting to push the intensely private soldier before she was ready.

Grace quickly downed her large glass of wine and stood up. Pacing anxiously.

“Grace?” Dani spoke softly again.

“What am I to you?” Grace asked softly, no anger, no malice, no accusation. Just a request to gain understanding “I mean, am I your fuck buddy?” she placed the glass carefully on the kitchenette bench. “Are you doing all this” she gestured with her arms “Because you feel bad about an argument we had ages ago?” she placed her hands on her hips and kept her eyes on the ground “Did I just catch your attention and you decided you wanted to see what a Spec Ops Augment was like?” she kicked the tip of her shoe against the hard wood floor “Am I the flavour of the month?” she looked up with tears in her eyes “Am I her replacement” she meant the Grace from Dani’s past.

Dani quickly stood up and placed her hands on Grace’s cheek. It was fast becoming a gesture that both soothed and calmed the taller soldier. Grace closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

“Grace” she pulled the taller woman’s lips down to hers “You are Grace Harper, Spec Ops soldier, and woman who intrigues and infuriates me” she kissed her again “You are very much real to me, and I am very much present when I’m with you” she ran her hands through Grace’s short locks “And I know it doesn’t seem like it at the moment” she smiled “But what I feel for you. What I hope you feel for me. Goes well beyond just physical pleasure”

She stepped back and made Grace look her in the eyes. “I’ve known for a while that I’ve been falling in love with you Grace” Grace opened her mouth to speak but Dani again placed a hand on her cheek “But I fought it. I fought it tooth and nail, with everything I had, because I was just so scared” She smiled with tears in her eyes. “But now I know, I have to let myself feel this, let us have whatever we are meant to have in the here and now because we simply don’t know what the future holds” she kissed her softly “Fate is what we make for ourselves, and I chose to make mine with you. If you’ll have me that is?”

Dani let her tears fall. She was relieved and scared, and vulnerable. But glad that she’d been able to explain how she was feeling.

Grace didn’t say anything initially. She took Dani by the hand and guided them both to the shower. She striped of Dani’s shoes and clothes, and quickly did the same for herself. She turned on the water which made Oatmeal quickly protest and scamper out of the room. She guided the two of them underneath the hot water and held the smaller woman close to her body. Dani snaked her arms around the taller woman’s back, placing her head against her chest, listening to her steady heartbeat.

“I’ve wanted you for years Dani” she spoke into the shorter woman’s hair “I never thought it was possible” she squeezed tighter. “and then you got hurt and you almost died” she swallowed hard. “Then I almost died. Twice” She launched ironically. “And then you became my friend which is more than I could have ever hoped for” she kissed Dani’s head and pulled back. Looking her in the eyes with sincerity.

“I’ve never been in a relationship Dani” She said with a hint of fear. “I don’t know how to share myself with another person” she swallowed “But at the same time, and I know it sounds hypocritical, I don’t want to be just another person for you to fuck” she looked down at her toes, letting the water beat down against her back.

Dani stepped forward and held Grace tightly

“I can’t promise you much Grace” she squeezed “I can tell you that you mean more to me than anyone else in my life. I mean that” she stressed when she felt Grace stiffen. “But at the same time, I know what you do means that commitment is hard for you, and I’m not asking for a commitment. I just want us to have now, and tomorrow, and maybe even the day after that, and reassess whatever that means for us” she rubbed Grace’s stiff shoulders and felt them relax under the hot water.

“If you don’t think you can be monogamous, that’s okay, we can talk about it, you just need to be honest with me” Dani herself hadn’t had a committed relationship in a very long time so she understood how daunting the prospect would be. “If you don’t want to be intimate with me after today, I will accept that” she swallowed knowing that would be hard “but if this” she touched Grace’s chest “challenges our friendship “then I will chose your friendship over all else”

She pulled Grace back down for a kiss.

“Okay?”

Grace nodded but didn’t say anything.

Dani picked up the bar of soap and began lathering it over the tall woman’s well-muscled body. Her hands moved over scars, old and new, but Grace was warm and strong and standing in front of her. And she’d take that over anything.

Eventually Grace turned around and took the bar of soap from Dani, letting the suds wash over her dark body, lathering every inch of smooth skin she could reach, seemingly unaware of the effect her touch was having on the Commander. They washed each other off and embraced again for long minutes under the hot shower.

Eventually the temperature cooled, so they turned off the water and wrapped towels around themselves.

Grace looked unsure and vulnerable, and Dani, despite her seemingly ever-present desire for Grace, took her by the hand and guided her to the bed. She took both their towels off, and pulled back the sheets, signalling Grace to get in.

Dani followed quickly, and almost immediately pulled Grace’s arm over her body, letting the taller woman spoon her from behind.

She switched the lights off from above the headboard and sighed as she put her head down onto the pillow.

She squeezed Grace’s hand against her chest, and felt Grace pull her closer and nuzzle the back of her neck.

The combination of alcohol, sex, emotional talk, and her still recovering body meant that Grace quickly became heavy against Dani and drifted off into sleep.

“Goodnight mi amor” Dani whispered into the darkness.

Oatmeal found a warm spot under the covers, in the crook of Grace’s bent legs, and curled up for the night with his two mistresses.

*****

**2042**

A few days later Dani received intel that Legion was encroaching on an outpost approximately 150 clicks from the base situated close to what used to be Las Vegas. First three Rev-9’s within 200 kilometres, and now sightings of HK’s and Rev-7’s within 150. It seemed too organised, too close for Dani to take lightly. So, she formed a small team consisting of Major Hadrell, Captain Harper, and herself to do some reconnaissance.

Dani was more than aware that another year had ticked over, and this was the year that Legion would supposedly use their TD chamber to send a Rev back in time, and Grace would follow. She was angry and on edge because as far as she could tell, they hadn’t slowed Legion at all, nor had they located the device which is why she’d included herself in today’s recon mission. She wanted to be as involved as possible. Needed to be.

Initially Grace and William had protested her presence on the mission, but Dani insisted, feeling that Legion was making an important move and she might be the only one to be able to identify it.

So, the three of them took a helo up to the outpost and flew several passes around what used to be Las Vegas. Dani had never been here before the war began but she saw signs of recent heavy vehicle activity. They flew over what remained of the Bellagio and Dani spotted a camouflaged HK.

“I’ll be damned” Hadrell whispered. His IR picking up noting even though he could see it with his own eyes after Dani pointed it out. It was completely powered down.

Grace lifted the RPG to her shoulder and just as she pulled the trigger, the HK came to life and fired at the small chopper.

Grace hit her mark, but so did the HK, and the pilot couldn’t recover the dive. They prepared for a crash landing, Grace helping to brace Dani’s body firmly against her seat.

The helo hit the Bellagio wall first, split in two then dived to the ground. Grace was thrown out of the cockpit and hit the brick wall hard before dropping 20 feet to the hard cement floor beneath her. She felt something give in her utility belt as she landed hard on her right hip.

“Fuck!” Grace breathed as she picked herself up. Dazed and blurry eyed, she tried to locate Dani or any member of the rest of her team. She felt at least one of her ribs was broken, and perhaps she even had a slight concussion.

Her RD wasn’t picking up any heat signatures or signs of life, and her heart raced. Remembering the crunch she felt when she collided with the ground, she pulled out her med gun and discovered that not only was the gun beyond repair, but all four vials had been shattered upon impact. She sighed and threw the broken remains of the vials to the ground and put her pouch back.

“Dani!” She yelled.

Debris from the Helo was everywhere. But she had no idea whether the HK had been destroyed, nor if it had managed to summon any Rev’s.

Nor did she know where any of the crew members had landed. Thankfully Dani had insisted on a small recon group, but at the same time, had insisted on including herself in that group.

“Goddammit!” She grunted.

“Evelyn!?” She spoke into her mic. “Is there a drone up above? Can you see anything?”

She got back static and pulled out her earpiece.

She raised a crest and scanned the open expanse in front of her, this time picking up two heat signatures. She quickly switched to x-ray and confirmed that one was an Augment, the other human, Dani.

She picked up pace and got to Dani first. “Commander!” She shook the prone woman gently. She used her RD to scan for vitals and thankfully nothing appeared broken or critically injured so he gently shook Dani’s shoulders again. “Dani” she spoke loudly.

Slowly Dani opened her eyes and began coughing, she unclipped her helmet strap and threw it aside, she tried to unstrap her protective armour but Grace placed a calming hand over hers. “Dani, you’re okay, you’re going to be okay. Just breath evenly and slowly” she retrieved Dani’s discarded helmet and quickly placed it back on the Commanders head. She wasn’t going to take any chances.

“are you okay?” Dani croaked.

Grace nodded and quickly stood up signalling that she was going to go check on Hadrell. Dani nodded, and pulled on the water in her canteen.

Grace reached Hadrell, and like Dani, she could see not critical injuries, but he did have a dislocated shoulder and some deep shrapnel wounds.

Not wanting to risk him waking up during a relocation procedure she urged him awake with some firm slaps to his face.

“Fucking easy woman” he yelled as he tried to stop her. He felt his left arm refuse to obey him and he grimaced. Looking at Grace in acceptance, knowing what she was going to have to do.

He sat up and braced himself against whatever debris he could find. He nodded to Grace and she nodded back before quickly pushing his arm back into its socket.

He grunted in pain but remained silent otherwise and Grace smiled _‘fucking Spec Ops´_ She unclipped her med kit and put on a pair of gloves and silently she extracted the three large pieces of shrapnel from his skin. None had pierced his mesh biolayer and all were relatively quick to dress.

She then reached into his med kit and pulled out his med-gun. Registering a single dose of meds.

“I’ve found the Commander but can’t locate the pilot” He nodded. “Stay here and I’ll bring her to you”

She quickly administered his meds and gave him his water canteen before returning back to Dani.

“I have to try and find that HK that took us down otherwise we’re sitting ducks out here” She whispered. “Hadrell is fine but out of action for a while” She helped Dani stand up. “Does your radio work?”

Dani shook her head, still dazed from the collision. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked Grace.

“I’m fine Commander” she quirked a smile. And half carried her over to the Major.

Once the three of them were together, Grace advised Hadrell of her plan. He nodded and stood to help, but she shook her head.

“You need to stay here and protect the Commander” She said firmly.

“Now listen here Captain” he said in a warning voice.

“I’m 5 by 5 Major. I can move faster, and I can use both arms. If there’s a threat out there, I can find it quicker and neutralise it faster” she finished with a stern look.

He simply nodded, and she trotted off, soon obscured behind mounds of new and old debris.

“I rarely win arguments either if it makes you feel any better” Dani quipped.

Hadrell laughed and then grimaced as his shoulder pulled uncomfortably. “Somehow I doubt that Commander” he said with a quick wink.

Within about 10 minutes they heard a loud blast and about 15 minutes later Grace trotted back with the helo pilot over her shoulder.

“He’s concussed, but otherwise fine. The HK is permanently out, and I couldn’t see any signs of Rev’s in the area.

“We were lucky weren’t we” Dani said.

Grace nodded “It was an unmanned, motion sensored missile launcher attached to the front of a HK. Luckily the helo defence picked it up and the pilot initiated evasive manoeuvres. Unfortunately, we were in too close quarters, which is exactly why Legion put it there. Too many tall buildings too close together for us to evacuate quickly. We avoided a direct hit, but had to bail out anyway”

Her RD was sending her warnings of low glucose & electrolytes.

She pulled out a field ration and threw it into her mouth without Hadrell or Dani noticing. She downed the contents of her canteen and felt a little better.

“Coms?” Hadrell asked. And Grace shook her head.

Grace pulled out a map “As far as I can tell, we’re about 20 clicks from the closest Resistance outpost. If we move now, we should make it by nightfall” She grit her teeth knowing that without meds her injured and depleted body wouldn’t make a twenty-kilometre hike.

Dani noticed the grimace and raised a questioning eyebrow to Grace.

Grace sighed, she wasn’t going to lie to Dani “I think I cracked a couple ribs, and my meds got destroyed Commander”. Both Hadrell and Dani frowned. She pulled out her case and showed him the broken med-gun, and shards of glass where the vials should have been.

Hadrell pulled his own out and swore “Fuck!”

“What?” Dani questioned. Her heart in her throat.

“I don’t have any cartridges left Commander. I must have forgotten to restock before we left. Fuck!”

“It’s okay” Grace said with a light smile. It’s only 20 clicks. And we can see if there’s anything we can scavenge along the way.

Dani pursed her lips and nodded. “let’s go” She said, eager to get them as close to help as quickly as possible.

Hadrell’s arm had set well enough for him to help Grace carry the unconscious pilot in a makeshift stretcher. Dani offered to take over from Grace, but Grace shook her head “We’ll move faster if I do it” she smiled kindly down at Dani.

Dani took point and led them out of what was the main township. They were soon in open grazing land and Grace took a moment to breath in the fresh air and the still present scent of grass, grain and earth, a scent that took her back to her childhood. She brought up her RD and sighed. Her body was already feeling hotter than normal and her breathing had become a little more laboured.

“I’ve got about 10 minutes before I start crashing” she spoke calmly but urgently.

Dani immediately took over. “Put the pilot down. Captain you sit down, and Major, go find us a water source” She stood guard as Hadrell darted off into the evening.

Grace sat down heavily, and Dani went to her, giving her the last of her canteen. “Deep breaths Grace” she spoke calmly. “This isn’t the first time we’ve done this okay” Grace nodded but didn’t say anything.

Within a few minutes Hadrell was back. “There’s a stream 50 meters that way” he pointed over his shoulder.

Dani nodded. And helped Grace to her feet.

Hadrell lifted the still unconscious pilot over his good shoulder and led them to the water source.

“Major, I need you to get to that outpost and bring back help ASAP”

“Commander” he nodded. And with that he was off again.

By now Grace had dropped to all fours and was trying to get her lungs to slow down. Hyperventilation would alkalise her blood which would make the crash all the worse.

“Into the water soldier”

Grace looked up quickly but didn’t argue. She pulled her body into the cool water and gasped at its contrast to her heated skin.

Dani followed and braced herself behind Grace. Making sure to keep her weapon ready.

“Just breath slowly love” Dani spoke softly into Grace’s ear.

Dani scooped up the cool water with her canteen and poured it over Grace’s forehead and shoulders. She could feel Grace’s body heating up even in the cool water, and knew that the crash was imminent, she could only hope that Hadrell could get them help in time.

“Shh” She crooned as Grace tried to speak around gasped breaths.

She kept pouring cold water over Grace, even after she passed out and leant heavily against her.

Dani placed two fingers against Grace’s neck and tried to measure her heartbeat. She counted 140 BPM which was high but not critical, at least not for an Augment.

“Come on” She whispered into the night and kept pouring water onto her lovers over-heating body. “Hang on Grace” she whispered. “You’ve been through way worse than this” she said with a hint of humour to mask her concern.

Grace murmured something back but Dani couldn’t make it out. So she kept talking to her lover and cooling her down with the stream water.

Approximately a half hour after Hadrell had left, Dani picked up the sound of an engine. She raised her weapon but heard Hadrell call out. She called back and within seconds he and two other soldiers had entered the stream. They picked up Grace’s limp and un-responsive body and took it to the jeep which had a stretcher mounted to the rear. Hadrell pulled out a med-gun and fired a dose into Grace’s bicep. He then quickly threw a blanket over his very wet and cold Commander, and then helped the soldiers load the still unconscious pilot into the Jeep.

Dani sat in the back nearest Grace who had been put on oxygen and hooked up to a monitor.

Her vitals seemed to be returning to normal and Dani marvelled at the efficiency of the drug cocktail that the Augments used. Within a few minutes Grace was responsive and tried to pull off her oxygen mask and sit up.

Dani ordered her to remain still. Which she did.

They arrived at the outpost a few minutes later and unloaded Grace and the pilot to the med bay. Dani followed and ordered Hadrell to establish comms with the base.

The medic immediately asked the Commander to take off her clothes and gave her a thermal blanket to wear as her clothing was taken away to dry.

Grace was given some IV fluids, a cooling blanket, and asked to remain in the med bay until they could rule out a concussion.

“Concussion?” Dani enquired.

“Yes Commander. The Captain says that she lost possession of her helmet early in the crash and that she may have hit her head on the way down” The medic smiled sardonically and shook his head.

“If you can keep her awake and talking that would be ideal” He concluded, then moved to the pilot who was still unconscious.

“How’s the pilot?” She asked.

“Unsure Commander” He replied. He’s been unconscious for a while, but his vitals all look fine. If he doesn’t improve in the next hour or so, I’ll order some pictures.

Dani nodded and returned her attention to a very groggy Grace.

“You’re freezing!” Grace exclaimed when she saw the Commander and her RD brought up her vitals.

“Shhh” she whispered through chattering teeth. “They gave me this blanket” she shrugged under its weight “And I feel a thousand time better already”

Grace sat up and momentarily the world span around her. She felt Dani close the distance between them and support her.

“Hmmmm. You’re so warm” Dani said appreciatively, and Grace wrapped an arm around her shoulder, smiling at the smaller woman’s appreciation.

“Hadrell? The Pilot? How are they” She couldn’t for the life of her remember the pilots name.

“Hadrell is trying to bring comms back up with base, and the pilot is stable” she nodded over to Grace’s other side.

Grace turned her head and frowned her stomach suddenly felt uneasy.

He hadn’t appeared too injured when she’d found him and had expected him to have regained consciousness by now.

She looked at the monitor showing his vitals and they matched those in her RD but still, the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end so she quickly switched to X-ray.

“Dani” She whispered pushing Dani away from her bed. Dani recognised Grace’s worried tone. “Where are my weapons?” She spoke quickly and Dani became alarmed. She began to tell Grace that her weapons were being cleaned and reloaded in the armoury but before she could, both Grace and the now very awake Pilot had stepped off their beds, facing each other.

“I was hoping it would take a bit longer soldier” the male voice spoke, a voice that was definitely not that of the pilot. And slowly the figure in front of them transformed into the male Rev-9 that Grace had encountered in the warehouse.

“sorry to disappoint” Grace replied, trying to keep Dani behind her and find a weapon at the same time.

The handsome Rev jutted out his arms, and two liquid metal spears formed at each end.

Grace’s heartrate surged, she picked up a metal instrument tray and yelled “Dani run!”

But instead of feeling Dani move toward the door, she felt her push past her, firing a weapon at the Rev as he began his advance.

“Not this time you fucker!” Dani screamed at him as she unloaded at least three rounds into his body.

Grace quickly scooped Dani aside and shielded her with her own body as the rev initially exploded into two segments, and as Grace looked over her shoulder, she could see what was left of him fall to the floor, an EMP round lodged firmly in his skull.

“What the fuck?” Grace breathed heavily.

Hadrell and two soldiers stormed into the med bay and Hadrell immediately ordered the other two back out and asked the doctor to come back in.

“What the fuck?” He mimicked Grace.

Both of them looking at their Commander in awe.

Dani shrugged her shoulders.

“But how did you know?” Grace asked.

“I didn’t” she replied simply. “But I could tell that you did”

She started to shake gently, and the doctor who just arrived guided her back onto a gurney, diagnosed mild shock and quickly inserted an IV and turned up the temperature on the heating blanket.

“I left my weapons there” she pointed to the bed next to Grace “when they gave me this blanket and took my clothes” she smiled wryly. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned in all my time as Commander, it’s never to be caught naked without a weapon”

Hadrell laughed out loud and folded his arms. Grace was still looking between Dani and the dead Rev-9 on the ground.

“But ...” she was clearly still confused.

“Captain”. After what that thing did to you and Hadrell’s team, I make it a point to always carry EMP rounds with me, as well as plasma explosives. I managed to get two explosives and an EMP loaded before he attacked”

“Fuckin A Commander” Hadrell spoke with awe and respect in his voice.

Grace sat back heavily on her bed and started to chuckle “Never be caught naked without a weapon” she looked down at herself and laughed even more. She too was wrapped up but in a cooling blanket, she had been stripped down to her underwear to help her body cool down faster and she was very much weapon-less.

All three were still grinning as a research crew entered to take the rev-9’s dead body away.

Dani sobered “you checked him before you picked him up back there right” she directed to Grace

“Of course” she said slightly indignantly.

“The Rev must have swapped him out when we were at the creek. It’s the only time none of us had eyes on him” She looked down sadly. “I’ll ask a team to go retrieve his body tomorrow so he can have a proper send-off”

Grace and Hadrell nodded sombrely.

“How are comms going Major?”

“Established Commander. We should have an escort back by oh-six-hundred tomorrow. They want to wait until first light.

Dani nodded and lay her head back against the pillow. “Legion is planning something” she said wearily. “They’re getting closer, and they’re trying to infiltrate again”

“To what end” Grace asked.

“We should all get some shut eye” Dani ordered wearily. “I can barely think straight as it is. Tomorrow we’ll figure it out”. 

Hadrell nodded and left. Grace sat up in her bed and looked angry.

“Captain?” the Commander asked tiredly without opening her eyes.

“I couldn’t have protected you” she said plainly.

Dani opened her eyes and also sat up. “Grace, I know I’m not an Augment, but I can still swing a punch” she smiled lightly “I didn’t make it to Commander by taking unnecessary risks. I got to Commander by always trying to think two or three steps ahead, by trusting my gut over my head sometimes, and by trusting the people I chose to put around me. I learn from every single painful mistake I’ve lived through, and I learn from every single mistake my people live through” She lay back down and closed her eyes as though this explanation was sufficient.

Grace nodded slowly. Her respect and understanding for the Commander grew again, even though each time it did, she didn’t think it could get any bigger. She took a cleansing breath and lay back down onto the soft pillow and within minutes she was fast asleep.

As some stage during the night, Dani crawled into Grace’s hospital bed. Sure, she may have made a speech about not being small and helpless earlier, but she needed to feel Grace’s warm body against hers, to feel her breaths and her even heartbeat. She had to admit that when it came to Grace, she really did need her. She hadn’t needed anybody since Sarah Connor all those years back, so yeah, it scared her a little. Plus, Grace was way more efficient than any heating blanket they could give her.

****


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not even going to pretend this chapter has a plot.  
> Dani & Grace enjoying some much needed time alone

The Commander, Major Hadrell, and Captain Harper flew back to the base in the early hours of the morning. They carried with them the remains of the fried Rev-9 that Dani had taken out.

Evelyn met them on the landing pad along with Dr Amir and Dr Spencer.

“We’ve reserved the old cement bunker we performed Grace’s surgery in” Evelyn yelled over the sound of the helicopter blades. “The EMP would have fried it’s neural net, but if there’s anything there we’ll find it”

Dani nodded. “How long do you think you’ll need?”

“Two, three days tops” she said “If we don’t have anything by then, there isn’t anything to find”.

Dani turned to Hadrell and Harper “looks like you and your team have a few days furlough” she said with a smile. “Make good use of it”

“Commander” Hadrell nodded and went to speak with Evelyn. Dani waited for Grace who’d been awfully quiet on the flight back to the base. She followed Dani to her quarters and sat down heavily on the bed, wincing when her rib pulled.

“Grace, do you think you should go see Dr Yeo?” Dani asked worriedly.

Grace performed a quick assessment and shook her head. “My stats are all fine, really. And my rib will be as good as new by tomorrow”

Dani walked over to her lover and gently stripped her of her clothing and pulled her to the shower where they gently washed away the dirt and grime of the last 24 hours. And secretly, Dani wanted to see for herself that Grace wasn’t hiding any other injuries.

As Dani’s gentle fingers slid over Grace’s bruised rib Grace smiled and said “I know what you’re doing Dani”

Dani kissed her back and handed her the bar of soap and turned around. “I have no idea what you’re talking about” Dani said through a smile as Grace washed her body.

Dani turned around in her lovers’ arms and held her gently. “I know why you’ve been quiet this whole time Grace, but I need you to believe that I can take care of myself” Grace went to say something but Dani shook her head. ”I know it scared you to have no control in that room, and sometimes it’s the scariest feeling in the world, having no control” she stroked her lovers back. “But when we’re together, I know that no matter the situation, we have each other’s backs. We’ll look after each other. And yesterday, that’s what I did for you. I know you’re supposed to be the big bad Augmented super soldier” she brought Grace’s lips down for a kiss “But I am the Commander” she smiled gently.

Grace blew out a breath and let her shoulders relax under the hot water. And Dani smiled against her chest.

“Now, I have to go do some paperwork, and debrief the rest of the troops, but I want you to go to the mess, get some food, and when I get back this afternoon, I expect you to be asleep in bed” Again Grace tried to speak and Dani placed a hand on her cheek.

“Commander’s orders” she said with a sparkle in her eye. Besides, we have a couple free days, and I’d like to spend as much of that time making love to you as possible, so you need to heal that rib ASAP” she hopped out of the shower and threw her speechless lover a towel.

“Ma’am” Grace finally grinned and towelled herself dry before pulling on fresh clothes.

“Oh, and go get yourself a new med-gun, and while you’re there just let Dr Yeo check you out okay” Dani said as she quickly walked into the elevator.

Grace had all but forgotten about her med-gun, and Dani was right, she should just go get some bloods and an X-ray while she was in Medical.

***

By the time Dani arrived back to her quarters in the evening, Grace was naked and sound asleep in their bed. There was a new med-gun on the table, and Grace had left out her recent test results for Dani to go over.

Dani looked over at her sleeping lover and her heart burst. Sure, it wasn’t roses, or chocolates, or some big romantic gesture. But for Dani, this meant the world. It meant that Grace took her concerns seriously and was willing to acquiesce to her request despite obviously not wanting to. Not only that, she wanted Dani to see the physical evidence of her endeavours.

Dani rang the kitchen to bring down some food and gently stroked her sleepy lovers warm face.

Grace groggily woke up and smiled. She stretched and Dani couldn’t help but lay her body directly on-top of her prone lover. Letting those strong arms wrap around her was probably one of her most favourite things in the world.

The phone to her quarters rang, and Dani quickly went up to collect the food and brought it down to a very happy and a very hungry Grace.

Dani had seen Grace’s lab results, and although they were well within normal range, she could tell that Grace was run down. Her white blood cell count was slightly elevated, and her electrolytes were slightly off balance. So tonight was all about getting Grace the rest and nutrition she needed because Dani had big plans for their day off tomorrow.

When their meal was finished, Dani lay her head on her partners shoulders and they flicked on an old movie. They both fell asleep before the start of the second act.

***

Dawn broke and Dani woke before Grace, packing a duffle bag for their adventure today. She’d been forming a plan for a while, but it was part nerves and part Resistance duties that had prevented her from following through with it.

Now that they had a couple days off, she just had to get over the nerves part. Looking at her sleeping lover, her chest swelled, and she nodded silently to herself _‘it’s going to be fine’_.

She woke Grace up with a delivered breakfast and informed her that they were going to be out of communication with the base for the next 12 or so hours.

“Why” Grace asked around a mouth full of pancakes.

“It’s a surprise” Dani shrugged her shoulders innocently. “ah-ah, she held up her hand when she noticed Grace notice the duffle bag laying near the hallway entry. NO peeking, and that means no using your RD. No augments allowed unless necessary okay?” she kissed her lover tenderly and poured them both cups of coffee.

Dani seemed excited and on edge but in a good way, she really wanted to take a look inside the bag but couldn’t bring herself to ruin whatever surprise her lover had in store for them today. She laughed out loud when Dani, unable to sit still, jumped up, grabbed the bag, grabbed Grace’s hand and took them up to the tunnel and to a waiting Jeep.

A half hour later Dani pulled their Jeep over in front of what looked like an old Resistance facility. A facility that had obviously not been used in a long time. Dani jumped out of the vehicle and took Grace’s hand, leading her into the building.

“What is this place?” Grace asked, her augments on full alert despite Dani’s request, scanning the dark halls for threats.

Dani’s nervous excitement got the better of her and she pulled them towards a wall where she pushed Grace hard against the concrete surface and pressed herself firmly into her lovers warm, hard body.

“This” she kissed Grace’s lips and immediately Grace switched her RD into standby mode. The feel of Dani’s body firm against hers, and of her soft lips consuming hers were making her head spin. She placed gentle hands around Dani’s waist and drew her in closer.

Dani spoke around their kiss “This, is somewhere I’ve had in mind to take you for a while mi amor” She ground her pelvis into the taller woman’s and Grace immediately grabbed Dani’s ass and in one smooth motion, lifted her to her waist and spun them around so that Dani was firmly pressed against the wall, her legs wrapped securely against Grace’s slender hips.

“Dani, why here?” she kissed her smooth neck and felt the pulse under her tongue quicken “Is this place safe?” She pulled back and looked earnestly into her lovers’ eyes.

Her desire for Dani, always present, was quickly ratcheting up, but her desire to ensure their safety was also a constant presence and it would override everything else if they were in any sort of risk.

“shhh” Dani grabbed the back of Grace’s head and pulled her down, kissing her passionately, stroking her lovers now firm nipples through the soft material covering her torso. She brought her hands up and tangled them in Grace’s short hair, pulling back firmly and exposing her slender neck. Grace moaned her appreciation.

“I’ve wanted to try something with you Grace” She planted gentle kisses along the white scar line from Grace’s collar bone to the base of her skull. “And I want you to feel safe with me” She nibbled Grace’s earlobe and smiled as she felt Grace’s legs brace harder.

“Dani” Grace pulled back slightly and looked into her lover’s eyes “I always feel safe with you” she seemed somewhat perplexed.

“I know love, but I want to try something” she paused “something intimate that takes trust” and looked seriously into Grace’s eyes “I want to dominate you, I want you to let me take away your power, and let me express my love and desire for you differently, in a way that’s just for you and me” She pushed the words out quickly and more clumsy than she had wanted to, driven by nerves, not something she was used to.

Grace immediately took a quarter step back, and gently put Dani back on the ground, but kept her arms loosely around her lover, ensuring that she stayed connected to Dani. The fire in her belly had suddenly begun to burn harder, but a tendril of fear snaked its way inside her mind.

“Wha...” she stuttered “What are you talking about Dani?”

Dani, determined to keep the tone intimate and safe, held firm to Grace’s hips and drew them together again. She wrapped her arms around and up her tall lovers back, pulling them into an embrace so she could place her head on Grace’s chest. She heard Grace’s heartbeat, strong and steady and decidedly more rapid than usual, and the thought of what made her heart race brought a smile to her face.

Dani’s heart swelled in that moment. Grace was her sentinel, her protector, and by some sweet twist of fate, her lover. She was warm and soft, vulnerable and generous, but also at times impenetrable, hard as stone and emotionless, especially when Dani’s safety was concerned. Dani loved this woman in her arms more than she believed she could love anything or anyone, so much so that she wanted to indulge a sexual fantasy she’d been having recently, a fantasy that would make them both incredibly vulnerable, absolutely exposed bare to each other. A small quiver of anxiety rolled in her chest but the strong arms around her and steady heartbeat beneath her ears gave her courage.

Talking into Grace’s chest she explained what she had planned. She held firm to her lover waiting to feel the expected hesitancy via the stiffening of her back.

“You are the strongest person I know” she breathed in Grace’s scent and went on “and I love you” Grace’s arms tightened around Dani, but she remained quiet. “I want to experience something with you, and only you. Something I’ve been fantasising about for a while” She smiled softly as she remembered the many daydreams and uncomfortable strategy briefings that followed said daydreams.

“I would like you to submit to me, let me restrain you, take away your physical power, and let me love you until you tell me to stop”

By now Grace had stiffened considerably in Dani’s arms, but she hadn’t pulled back, which Dani took as a good sign.

“I don’t want you to submit to me because I’m your Commander. I want you to submit to me because you know I would never hurt you, I only want to please you, and only in ways you’re okay with”

Grace had started to tremble slightly, and Dani pulled away, grasping her lovers face between her hands she urged Grace to meet her eyes.

Grace’s face was flushed, and when she opened her eyes, Dani saw her answer in the depth of love and arousal staring back at her.

“Dani” Grace ‘s voice was rough “I love you too. You know that?” Dani nodded kindly. “I” She blew a breath of air out of her lungs “I would try, do, anything for you, I just don’t know if I can” She smiled a little “I mean literally. I don’t know if I can put myself in a position to be physically vulnerable without my augments potentially activating out of my control and putting you in danger”

Dani smiled a knowing smile and kissed her lover tenderly. Just the fact that Grace would be willing to try meant the world to her.

“And that” she kissed Grace tenderly “Is why we are here mi amor” she pulled back and looked around them.

Grace scanned the area again and asked “where IS here Dani?”

Dani took Grace’s unusually warm hand and led her further down the hall until they came to a large room, with what looked like a central control station with desks and monitors surrounded by what appeared to be a series of four cells side by side against the far wall. Each cell had three thick impenetrable steel walls, and a clear Perspex front observation wall at the front.

Grace felt discomfort immediately grow in her stomach and she stopped, gripping Dani’s hand tighter.

“We don’t use this place anymore” Dani said with a hint of sadness “When Legion first started making Rev’s, we thought we could capture them, observe them, find out their weaknesses, maybe even reprogram them”

Grace whispered quietly “Experiment on them, find new ways to kill them, find new ways to make the Augments better?” Grace queried, a coldness to her voice.

“Si”

Dani turned Grace to her and again captured her eyes. “Grace, that was a long time ago. And we eventually figured out that there was little benefit to the programme so I shut it down not long after the Rev-7’s were developed” she paused “I know they are just machines, but at the same time, I didn’t want us to become the monsters. So we did field research instead, we knew they couldn’t be reprogrammed, they were dangerous to capture, and the best weapons we had were our human abilities to strategize, to improvise in the field. Our resources to develop and test weaponry were limited, so we simply improved on what already worked without the cost of losing our people trying to contain and study the Rev’s”

She took a step inside the room “The 7’s made it clear that Legions singular order was to destroy us. But with the 7’s, we discovered that we could terminate them and use their microprocessors to assist the Augment program, there was no benefit to capturing them alive” she grimaced “if they can even be considered alive in the first place”

Grace looked into the room again and saw more clearly inside each cell. She noted the tungsten fittings in each wall, and the retractable high tensile suspension cables, cables that would hold the solid metal, but not the memetic liquid alloy, form of any of Legions many Rev’s

She felt the warmth of Dani’s hand on her back, and she took a deep breath, trying to push down the alarm she felt just looking at the holding cells. 

The arousal she had felt moments ago, had disappeared as soon as she saw cells and Dani had explained their purposes. But when Dani placed her hand on her back, and she looked down at her, her anxiety disappeared. She trusted Dani completely, and was willing to try at the very least. 

Looking at the high-tensile cables, she suddenly had an idea what Dani had brought her here for and her interest piqued again. Not quite arousal, but curiosity.

“Sooooo” she looked down at her partner and asked with a slight raise of her eyebrow “What did you have in mind Commander?” 

Dani blushed and ducked her head. It was a strange feeling to be in a space that held only dark memories for her, but a space that would make it possible for her to play out her fantasy with the gorgeous woman by her side.

She turned to face her lover and spoke truthfully.

“I know what your augments are capable of Grace, and I know that when your body is pushed or under extreme sensory input, they can take over without your control. I know it’s a survival mechanism. And” She traced her finger across Grace’s lips ”What I want to do to you, how I want to love you, to remove your sense of control, I know that might be dangerous”

Grace’s gut clenched at the thought of any part of her harming Dani, even involuntarily. Then she looked again at the tensile restraints and her gut clenched for another reason. She’d try anything for the woman in her arms. And if she was being honest, the thought of Dani having complete control over her body aroused her in a way she hadn’t been before.

“Sooooo” Grace quirked her eyebrow again “this is our _safe_ room” emphasising the word safe as she cupped Dani’s ass and squeezed.

Dani was taken by surprise by her lovers seeming enjoyment of their current discussion.

“Well, I thought” she stammered a little.

“You thought, you’d bring me down here, tie me up, and ravage me” Grace began to kiss Dani again as her mind wrapped itself around the concept of Dani dominating her.

Since her augmentation, and even before that, Grace had rarely been vulnerable, being physically vulnerable around other humans was just not something that she’d experienced in a very long time, ever since she developed in height and strength as a teenager in the Settlement. So the thought of intentionally giving herself over to Dani, of making herself vulnerable for her lover, an act of intimacy so private as to almost be scary, the thought of it all shot a jolt of arousal through her so sharp she felt her stomach tighten and her breath quicken.

Dani felt the slight change in her lovers’ body and took a chance. She led them to the doorway of the cell at the end of the room and switched on the lights.

“Grace, I want you to take off your clothes. Now” She used the voice she reserved for her daily briefings, the Commanders voice.

Grace felt as though she was in a fog. She wanted to touch Dani so badly but knew instinctively not to, so she quickly pulled off her top, kicked off her shoes and dropped her pants.

Nudity wasn’t something she had ever been shy about, but somehow, in this moment, she ‘felt’ everything. The pool of heat building in her belly. The cool draft against her skin, the tightening of her nipples, the rough concrete underneath her feet, and the slightly quicker than normal rise and fall of her chest as she stood there before her Commander.

For Dani’s part, it was all she could do to not touch her lovers’ beautiful body. Every time she looked at Grace naked, she literally lost her breath for a moment, and this was no different.

Her mouth suddenly got dry, and her lips parted.

“Inside” she gestured to the cell in front of them. They walked to the centre of the room where Dani put her bag down and assumed full Commander stance. Firm, strong, uncompromising, shuddered eyes hiding kindness and intelligence beyond her years.

“Stop” Grace stopped and turned, standing before her Commander at full attention. Jaw clenched as she tried to breathe through the flutter of nerves and arousal, and the urge to look Dani in the eyes.

“At ease soldier” Dani could see the coiled tension in Grace’s body and took pity on her partner.

Grace widened her stance and held her arms in a more relaxed position. She let herself look at Dani and her pulse quickened at the fire burning back at her.

“Grace” she said still in a firm tone “I would very much like to make love to you” she raised her hand to one of Grace’s breasts and stroked the already ridged nipple. Grace inhaled sharply but remained in place.

“Would you like that?”

“yes” Grace looked Dani in the eye and smiled.

“Yes what?”

Grace’s smile dropped and she reassumed her role.

“Yes Commander”

Dani circled Grace again, very slowly, letting her fingertips trail over the muscles of her abdomen which she loved so much, the smooth curve of her hip, her ribcage, her well-muscled shoulders and arms. By the time she had done one lap, the long muscles of Grace’s thighs were visibly trebling, her breathing was shallow, and her eyes were closed, showing the amount of control she was exerting.

“Soldier!” Grace’s bright blue eyes snapped open and immediately, without prompting, her augment displayed Dani’s vitals. She grinned inwardly when she saw the physiological effect this was having on her lover too. Elevated respiratory rate, elevated heart rate, and a slight elevation in dopamine. Of course, her display mirrored these readings for her, but she didn’t need to read numbers on her display to know they were both aroused. The air was thick with it. She could smell her own arousal and was sure Dani could too.

“Yes Commander” She replied evenly.

“I’d like you to remove my clothing” seeing the glint in Grace’s eyes, she added “But you are only to remove my clothes. You are not to linger or touch my body in any other way. Understood?”

Grace nodded, gritting her teeth in disappointment but determined to let Dani have control.

Grace lifted Dani’s shirt off her and was immediately engulfed in her scent. She clenched the material between her fists to stop her from touching the soft skin oh so close to her.

She unclasped the belt around Dani’s waist, and with a slightly trembling hand undid the button and the zip. She took a deep breath and looked into Dani’s eyes. Dani simply raised a questioning eyebrow to her.

Grace hooked her thumbs under Dani’s waistband and drew her pants down, along with her underwear. At that, she was almost undone as her head came level with Dani’s soft patch of curls and her scent of arousal drifted toward her. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart.

She felt a gentle had on her shoulder “My shoes” spoken softly.

Grace fumbled with the laces on Dani’s boots but eventually managed to remove one and then the other before fully extracting Dani from her pants.

Grace stood up and met Dani’s eyes. They were no longer the Commander’s but her Dani’s.

“Thank you, Grace,” She said as she reached back and unclasped her bra, letting it drop to the floor.

She reached up and cupped her hand against Grace’s warm cheek.

“I need you to trust me Grace. I will never hurt you, I will never put you in danger, and I will always stop when you want me too” She said with honesty.

Grace nodded and bit her lip. Her body was warring with itself. She wanted to take Dani in her arms, but knew she wasn’t allowed to. She was as vulnerable as she could be, but somehow knew this was going to change.

Dani smiled shyly “Grace, I need you to give me a safe word, something that isn’t ‘stop’ or ‘don’t’ because you might say them and not actually want me to stop. Think of something completely out of context so that I know your request is real”

Grace stood there perplexed for a moment. She had never played like this with a lover. And the scenario seemed slightly surreal, but also intoxicating at the same time.

“Ummm” she hesitated “how about ‘Cake’?” she smiled. And Dani returned the smile. Knowing that cake was something her lover missed most about the world before Legion and had only recently indulged in after the Commander used her considerable resources to procure the necessary ingredients just before Grace’s’ last birthday.

“Okay mi amor” she laughed and kissed Grace on the lips “Cake it is”

“Once we start, that is the only way you can tell me to stop” Her kiss deepened. “Will you play this fantasy out with me Grace?” She slid her hand down and dragged a finger through Grace’s wet folds and Grace gasped in surprise. Dani brought her finger to her mouth and tasted her lover.

Dani’s own excitement was building at the state Grace was already in.

Grace nodded but Dani spoke earnestly “Grace, I need you to say it”

“I trust you Dani, I want this, I want you” She breathed heavily

Immediately the Commander was back.

“Against the wall soldier”

Grace’s heart leapt as she backed up to the wall and saw the metal shackles and knew, at least in part, what was ahead.

Dani moved to the other wall and opened a control box, she pressed an unseen button and the tensile steel restraints slackened.

Grace watched two restraints raise out from the bottom of the wall, another three dropped from the ceiling. All reinforced, all unbreakable.

Her heart leapt again and her breathing quickened as she noticed one of the restraints from the ceiling had a collar attachment instead of a narrow binding.

“Dani” Grace said uncertainly.

“Quiet soldier!” Dani strode towards Grace and placed her hand against her chest, pushing her back against the cold metal wall, but gently. There was understanding in her eyes. She knew the fear that the restraints must be invoking in her partner.

“You are mine” She pressed her naked body up against Grace’s and took one of her breasts in her mouth.

Grace’s head lolled back against the wall, and suddenly her hesitation was gone. She knew Dani. She could do this for Dani. 

Dani released Grace’s breast and knelt on the floor. Grace prepared herself for her lovers’ touch. But instead heard the scraping of the steel along the floor as Dani attached first one then the second restraint to her ankles. Dani kissed her way up Grace’s body, raising each muscled arm and repeated the process with her wrists.

They both looked at the collar. Grace with hesitation, Dani with desire.

Grace knew that these restraints must have been used for the early Rev models who had humanoid features but hadn’t yet adopted the liquid metal endoskeleton of the Rev7-9’s. She swallowed at the thought of one of those metal monsters being restrained in this cell, and her heart began to race. She felt fear snake it way into her limbs and her augments came alive inside her.

“Commander” She closed her eyes and breathed steadily.

“Yes soldier” Dani spoke gently. Placing her hand against Grace’s chest as though sensing her lovers’ distress.

“You need to pull the restraints tight Commander, you need to make sure I can’t pull free” She looked into Dani’s eyes and tried to convey her fear for her lover as well as her innate fear of being powerless.

Dani’s breath was taken away. She knew Grace was warring with her body, warring with her own fear, and the fear she had of accidentally hurting Dani herself.

In that moment, Grace was completely vulnerable, afraid of what her body might be capable of outside of her control, but trusting Dani absolutely.

Dani moved to the control panel and pushed another button, and the four restraints holding Grace retracted into the floor and ceiling. Her legs held approximately three feet apart, and close to the wall, unable to move in any direction. Her arms raised above her head to the point where another inch or two would risk pulling them out of their sockets. Her body was taught and extended almost to its’ limit. Grace was now covered in a fine sheen of sweat and Dani couldn’t help but admire the exquisite body in front of her. Every inch of her, strong and functional, well-muscled, warm and capable.

And now, that exquisite body was under her power.

Her nostrils flared as images of what she was going to do to Grace flew past her mind’s eye.

Dani moved toward her lover and reached for the collar. She saw the flicker of hesitation in Grace’s eyes and waited. When Grace met her eyes again it was with a gentle nod of consent

She drew the collar snugly around Grace’s neck and again went back to the control box and retracted it until it exerted just the slightest amount of pull.

Ready to begin.

In that moment of stillness, Grace let a fragment of fear snake into her mind and that’s all it took for her augments to surge to life, essentially taking over her body as part of its’ survival mechanisms. She ‘knew’ she was safe with Dani, but her nervous system, and her restrained limbs were sending another message to her microprocessor. Her eyes flashed an almost iridescent blue and she lunged against the chains, gritting her teeth and using all her strength to try and free herself.

For a moment Dani thought Grace might actually break her arm restraints which groaned under the immense tension they were now under. But these restraints had held Legion built weapons. And as inhumanly powerful as Grace now was, she was still very much human. She was still made of flesh and bone.

Dani watched her lovers’ muscles ripple and strain and took a moment to appreciate Grace’s physicality. Every inch if her lean body put to use towards a single purpose. Her shoulders, her biceps and forearms, her muscled abdomen, her powerful thighs, all straining together in an attempt to break free. It was mesmerising to observe, but as Grace continued to strain, and as her body started to glisten even more with sweat, Dani realised that there was a very real chance that Grace could do damage to herself if she didn’t calm down.

She approached the struggling soldier and stared her down.

Grace’s intense blue eyes locked with Dani’s browns and they silently warred with each other. Dani wanting Grace to accept that she was not in any danger without having to say it again.

Grace saw the desire and the love radiating from Dani and she closed her eyes, concentrated for a moment, and took control of her augments. Eventually her breathing calmed, and her muscles relaxed against the restraints. When she opened her eyes again, the iridescence was gone, and her eyes were back to their striking blue again.

She was left slightly weak and trembling, but calm despite the restraints. And all because of a look. She was ready to surrender.

Dani saw the submission and smiled. She moved to her bag and pulled out a blanket which she opened on the floor at Grace’s feet and knelt down in full view of her lover above her.

On the blanket, she placed items the made Grace’s pulse jump.

A leather riding crop, a pair of nipple clamps and what looked like two silicone dildos, one purple, one blue, and what looked like an adjustable harness, although Grace had no idea how Dani would even have obtained these items.

As though reading Grace’s mind Dani spoke “about five years into the war, I happened to find a sex store which funnily enough hadn’t been looted. People were too busy hoarding food and water in those early days to be bothered with things like this. Thankfully, almost everything inside was intact, so I had a very interesting afternoon choosing which toys I wanted. Now, I knew that batteries and electricity would be scarce if not non-existent, but these” she said as she picked up the two soft dildos “would be able to keep me content for quite some time to come” she finished with a gleam in her eyes and Grace swallowed hard again. She felt her stomach clench as she imagined Dani using the toys on herself in quiet moments, or with other women, or other women using them on her. She wasn’t jealous, she was turned on, so turned on that her eyes darkened and her nostrils flared.

Dani saw the flush of colour rise from Grace’s chest toward her face, and knew she had the taller woman’s attention.

“Now this one” she picked up the slightly shorter purple dildo. It had a flat base, was approximately 6 inches long, and maybe two and a half inches wide. It had a curved end and ribbing along its’ edges. “I use when I need a good fast fuck”

Grace gasped at Dani’s vulgar use of words and felt herself get even wetter.

Dani picked up the second dildo, blue in colour. It too had the same flat base, but was slightly longer, maybe 7 inches, approximately the same width, but was smooth and almost rod shaped.

“This one, I use when I want it to be drawn out and slow, when I’m not in any rush. This one I’m going to use on you soldier” Dani said with a sexy smile, and Grace leant her head back against the wall, not quite able to believe the goddess at her feet was not only hers, but was about to take her in a way she’d never been taken before.

“But first, I want you to watch” Dani almost whispered as she picked up the purple dildo again.

Grace was breathing fast, all she wanted to do was throw herself down on the floor with Dani and ravage her. Her body was literally trembling with desire, but she knew Dani wasn’t going to make this easy for her.

Dani picked up the nipple clamps and slowly attached one to each dark nipple. She bit her lip seductively as each clamp tightened to the point where pleasure could tip into pain and back again.

“I want you to imagine your hands on my breasts, squeezing my nipples” she moaned against the pressure as she tugged against the chain connecting the clamps.

Grace clenched her fists and breathed deeply.

Dani leaned back and spread her legs so Grace could see her wet, glistening centre. She drew the length of the purple dildo threw the wet folds, coating it in her juices.

“Do you want to fuck me soldier?” she crooned.

“Yes” Grace breathed “Yes Commander”

“I want you to fuck me hard soldier” With that she directed the head of the dildo insider her and plunged it all the way to the hilt. Her head lolled back, but she remained propped up, spread wide in front of her restrained lover.

Grace’s hips involuntarily twitched, and she pulled against her restraints. She had never in her life been so helplessly aroused.

Dani plunged the dildo inside herself quickly, over and over again. The ribbed sides and curved head stimulating her inner walls and making her hips rise with each downward stroke.

“Uuunghh” She was obviously close.

“Dani let me ….” Grace strained

Dani immediately stopped her ministrations. Her sweaty flushed face looked up, a challenge flashing in her brown eyes.

“What did you call me”

Grace swallowed and tried to moisten her dry mouth.

“I’m sorry ma’am” she spoke as evenly as her thundering heart would let her. “I meant that should the Commander see fit, maybe I could assist” She said meekly. Knowing that this was not the game Dani had in mind.

Dani continued to slowly stroke the toy inside herself, all the while maintaining eye contact.

“The Commander is quite content handling this herself” She stopped momentarily “And should you speak out of line again soldier, I will see to it that you are appropriately disciplined” 

“Yes ma’am” Grace breathed again. Watching her lover pleasure herself was doing something to her brain and she couldn’t trust herself to speak more than that automated response.

Dani grinned, and continued. As her pace picked up again, she lowered herself completely onto the blanket, legs still bent and spread wide so Grace could see everything. With one strong arm Dani pumped the toy rapidly inside her, with the other, she pulled on the chain attached to the nipple clamps. Grace could tell she was on the verge or orgasm as her legs began to tremble.

“Fuck me soldier! Make me come!” she breathed, and with a few more quick strokes she let out a long deep moan, her legs shot out in front of her, shaking and fully extended, and her back arched off the blanket.

Grace was straining against her bindings again, her hips were rocking in unison with Dani’s and she needed to feel her lover against her. But she dare not speak. Her stomach tightened in arousal and she knew that she could probably make herself come if she just closed her eyes and played out the scene again. But she also knew that wasn’t how this game was going to play out, so she used her training to bring her heart rate back down, and focus on the woman in front of her.

Dani let herself enjoy the orgasm and the calm afterwards. Just imagining Grace on top of her, pumping inside of her was enough to make her want to go again, but the relief she just gave herself served two purposes. It took her edge off so she could focus on her lover, and it made Grace more aroused and prone to lose her control, which she already had.

Dani came back to herself and with a sobering breath, she loosened the nipple clamps before propping herself back up on her elbow and removing the dildo from inside her. She shuddered as the ribbed edges stimulated her again. She could hear Grace’s ragged breathing above her and a small smile payed on her lips as she thought about the game ahead.

“You liked watching didn’t you soldier?” she grinned.

“Yes Commander” Grace breathed quickly. Her legs began to tremble slightly as she imagined what Dani had planned for them.

“You wished it were you?” She teased

“Yes Commander” she answered honestly, meeting Dani’s eyes.

“Would you like to watch somebody fuck me soldier” Dani whispered

Grace’s cheeks flushed angrily, and her eyes burnt bright “No Commander”

“Good” She crooned “Because this body belongs only to you” she picked up the riding crop and stood a foot or so in front of Grace. “Just as yours belongs only to me” with a flick of her wrist Dani landed a stinging blow to the inside of Grace’s thigh.

Grace arched against the sensation. Her body unsure how to interpret it.

“Did you hear me soldier?” she flicked the switch again, and again landed a stinging strike high inside Grace’s thigh.

Grace had been so close to orgasm mere moments ago, that the strike of the crop was again bringing her closer to the edge. She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could another strike took her over the edge and into a much needed but far too gentle orgasm.

Dani watched in quiet awe as Grace quivered through her orgasm. She was surprised it had taken so few strikes, but then again, her younger lover was probably overstimulated in more than one way.

“Yes ma’am” came a strained whisper.

“Good” She trailed the crop along Grace’s thighs, up her ribcage and along her back. “Because you will do as I say from this moment on, or I will stop. Do you understand?”

“Yes Commander” Grace needed more, and she would do anything her Commander asked of her to get it.

Dani brought the riding crop down hard against Grace’s firm ass and Grace let out a surprised yell. But as the sting of pain, turned to heat, and then to pleasure, she arched her back and silently asked for more.

“You like it soldier?” She swung again and again Grace groaned half from quick sting and half from pleasure.

“Yes Commander” She gasped

Again, Dani brought the crop down against the back of Grace’s thigh, and Dani could see the beads of sweat starting to roll down Grace’s ribcage and stomach.

She dropped the crop and immediately began applying soft kisses and licks to Grace’s torso. Her taught stomach muscles were such a turn on to Dani that she didn’t really care if she let the game slide a little so she could indulge. She came to Grace’s nipples and nipped at them gently and she felt a gush of air rush out of Grace’s chest.

She stepped back and reassessed, deciding on a slightly different tact.

“Slightly different rules soldier” she grinned at her obviously aroused and frustrated lover.

“I’m going to fuck you” Grace’s nostrils flared “But you have to remain quiet and still” Grace’s brow furrowed “I want to see that legendary Augment control on display” she tweaked Grace’s nipple and felt her body shudder.

“Am I understood”

Grace breathed deeply, and steadied herself “Yes Commander”

Immediately Dani reached to the blanket and retrieved the nipple clamps, applying them tightly to Grace’s taught pink nipples. The only indication of pleasure was the slight quickening of her breath and the closing of her eyes. Otherwise she had remained ramrod still. She tugged on the clamps and again, just a small sharp inhale but no other movement.

Grace for her part was trying wildly to distance her mind from her body, but not so much that she wouldn’t feel pleasure. It was a battle she knew she would lose but her stubborn nature wouldn’t let her give in too quickly.

She gasped and arched against her restraints when she felt Dani’s wet tongue stroke her wet folds. It was so unexpected, and so what she needed that she immediately lost control and groaned, pushing her hips forward.

Dani stopped and cupped Grace’s ass, speaking against her belly.

“If you want me to keep going soldier, you’re going to have to do better than that”

Grace breathed heavily and stilled herself.

“Yes Commander”

Dani smiled at Grace’s obvious struggle. She dipped her head again and sucked on her lover’s wet folds.

Grace’s breathing increased, but she remained still. Trying to focus on the knot of pleasure growing in her belly.

Dani drew Grace’s clit into her mouth and stroked it with her tongue. Grace lost focus and closed her eyes but remained still. The quivering in her legs, her sweaty body, and her rapid breathing, the only outward indication of her inner struggle.

“Soldier, I have a deal for you” Dani spoke while licking Grace’s folds.

“Yes ma’am” grace breathed unevenly.

“If you can come quietly for me now” she sucked roughly on Grace’s clit and Grace opened her mouth but no sound came out. “I will make you scream for me later” she pulled on the chain attached to her nipples and again, a small shudder but no sound.

“Yes ma’am” Grace’s brain was in rapid fire motion. Trying to dampen her responses while allowing herself to feel everything Dani was doing to her. She couldn’t imagine a more exquisite pleasure than what she was feeling now, but she knew the Commander, and she knew she was wrong.

Dani went to work quickly on Grace. Her plans for later exciting her into finishing this part of the game quickly. She knew Grace could control her responses, it was part of her training and part of her augments, but she knew Grace had never had to use them like this before.

She drew Grace’s clit back between her lips and applied pressure as she stroked it with her tongue.

Grace’s legs quivered even more.

Dani pulled harder on the chain and Grace’s stomach tightened and her head lolled back.

Dani quickened the pace of her tongue and sucked harder and just as she felt Grace’s stomach flutter with the first wave or orgasm, she plunged two fingers deep inside her lovers’ wet folds. To her surprise, Grace remained totally silent, but arched hard against the welcome penetration and the subsequent wave of orgasm, which washed through her far too quickly.

Dani released her lovers’ clit and wiped her chin. She stood up and took in Grace’s eyes. Red faced and panting, but silent.

They smiled knowingly at each other.

Dani removed the nipple clamps and gently massaged Grace’s breasts.

She stepped up on her toes and kissed her lover.

“Now you can speak soldier”

Grace panted and croaked out “Thank you ma’am”

Dani laughed and stroked her lovers sweaty face.

Grace watched in growing anticipation as Dani went back to the blanket and picked up the harness. She stepped into it with ease and attached the long smooth dildo to the ring securing it to the front.

“This time soldier” she approached seductively, and Grace’s hips arched forward in invitation. “you can make as much sound as you want” she squared her hips and unexpectedly plunged the dildo deep inside her lover causing her to scream out in pleasure.

“But you cannot come until I tell you too!” she pushed her hips again. “Understand?”

Grace panted and fought off the orgasm that threatened to rip though her at that single thrust.

Dani pulled out immediately “Understand, soldier”

Grace’s head lolled and she wasn’t sure she could comply

Dani cupped her hands on either side of Grace’s face and gently kissed her lips.

“Don’t come until I tell you that you can, understand” she made Grace focus on her.

“Yes Commander” Grace whispered “But Commander” she looked pleadingly at Dani “I’m close” she said as an almost warning.

“Oh, I know” Dani smirked.

Dani guided the dildo back inside Grace, but this time with long slow strokes.

“That’s why I chose this one” she pulled almost all the way out, then slowly pushed forward and was rewarded with a long moan of appreciation from Grace.

“I can make this last a long time if I want to soldier” Grace loved the feel of Dani sliding insider her, and she hummed against the full body contact her smaller lover was making.

They continued like this for what must have been minutes. Slow strokes, soft, gentle kisses, and gentle stroking of Grace’s back. Grace was in heaven and felt like she could happily remain there indefinitely with Dani slowly moving inside her.

All of her senses were on fire, but the slow steady pace her lover was keeping somehow made it possible for her to enjoy the sensations without letting any one of them overwhelm her.

“Do you like how I feel inside of you soldier” Dani whispered into Grace’s ear, and suddenly the facade of control was shattered.

Grace groaned and felt her belly tighten.

“Do you” Dani pushed more forcefully into her taller lover.

“Yes Commander!” Grace panted.

“Do you want me to go faster?” Dani twitched her hips again and, again Grace arched and moaned.

“Please Commander” Grace grit her teeth and tried to pump her hips against the phallus insider her, but Dani backed away.

“Don’t you do it soldier” Dani hissed and grabbed Grace’s chin as she rammed the dildo back into her lover “Don’t you dare come until I say”

Grace’s head slammed against the wall. Her legs almost gave out, and the collar around her neck began to tighten in a way that made her slightly dizzy.

“Commander” Grace pleaded, her hips meeting every thrust of the smooth phallus.

“Not until I say!”

“nnughhhhh” Grace closed her eyes and tried to slow her senses down. Her arms pulled uselessly against the restraints, and her legs were barely holding her up. She tried to focus on her breathing and not the knot of building energy in her belly.

Dani slowed her thrusting to long, smooth, slow strokes again. She deepened the kiss and took Grace’s tongue into her mouth and tried to consume her, biting her lip and drawing blood as she released her.

Grace seemed to enjoy the sharp pain, so Dani reached down and squeezed one of Grace’s nipples a little more firmly than she normally would.

“Fuck!” Grace was teetering. “Please Commander!” she panted. “I need to come!”

At that Dani stopped all movement and stood back, almost violently withdrawing the phallus. Grace groaned the sudden emptiness.

“look at me soldier”

Grace managed to focus briefly on her lover. Her entire body feeling like it was short circuiting. All of her augments sending her information she had no way to process.

“I will tell you what you need and when you need it” she brought her face close to Grace’s “Comprende!?” She gritted her teeth.

Grace nodded as much as the collar would let her “yes” she panted again “yes ma’am”

Dani nodded. This was what she had been waiting for. She would send Grace over the edge in a way she had discovered quite some time ago was exquisitely pleasurable, if not somewhat dangerous. But this was the only safe way she could think to try it with Grace for the first time.

She reached up to Grace’s collar and waited until their eyes locked, with a slight twist of the dial Grace gasped as her airway closed slightly. Dani watched as Grace’s pulled against her restraints, but made sure that she could still breath, albeit with difficulty.

Grace felt herself tipping into panic, she didn’t know why Dani would tighten her collar, and every time she pulled against her arm restraints, her vision blurred a little as the collar pulled harder against her neck. Fear made her remember their safe word. Should she use it? What was Dani doing? She gasped as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

This is what Dani was watching for. She immediately squared her hips and guided the phallus back inside Grace, pushing all the way to the hilt then back out again. She bit down hard on one of Grace’s nipples and she felt the slick body against hers begin to tremble, she picked up the rhythm of her strokes. As much as she could she sucked and kissed along Grace’s collarbones, and then took her mouth in hers again.

She could see that Grace was delirious, so she slowed the pace of her hips and reached down and began stroking her clitoris.

Grace’s legs began to shake and a low moan started from deep in her chest.

“Not until I say” Dani whispered between kisses.

Dani felt Grace’s legs almost give, and she stopped her hips, holding the smooth dildo steady inside her wile stroking her clit even faster.

Grace felt like she was going to black out. She felt her orgasm building, but at the same time her ears were rushing with the sound of her pulse, and her retinal display was telling her that her oxygen saturation was declining. But all she could focus on where the soft lips on hers, the fullness inside of her, and the glorious electricity building with each stroke of Dani’s fingers _‘I could think of a million worse ways to die’_ she thought absently.

She closed her eyes and saw flashes of lights behind her eyelids that had nothing to do with her retinal display, the tension inside her body felt like it extended to her fingertips, and a peaceful serenity overcame her.

“Now” Dani whispered and slid her hips forcefully forward against her lovers’ sending the phallus quickly and fully inside her.

Grace’s body exploded against the built-up tension. Her orgasm tore through her like liquid fire and it built again almost instantly and washed over her for a second and then a third time. Her mouth opened but no sound came out, her eyes rolled back in her head and her body slowly became limp.

Ready, Dani immediately reached up and undid the collar around Grace’s neck and felt her lovers head come to rest on her shoulder, her breathing rapid and shallow as she moaned through her orgasms. Her entire body shaking with their intensity.

Dani pressed her body as firmly as she could against Grace’s to support it, to show her that she was there. But she knew Grace was beyond cohesive thought. Her oxygen starved brain was firing off massive amounts of adrenalin, serotonin and dopamine through her blood stream, which was now also carbon dioxide saturated, inducing an almost tranquilising effect. The cocktail in her bloodstream alone would be creating a euphoric experience for her lover, but the added pleasure of multiple full body orgasms would be more than her nervous system could take.

Grace felt as though she’d left her body. The pure pleasure coursing through every inch of her seemed almost unreal, yet she could feel Dani’s naked body pressed against hers, one hand gently stroking her back, the other tangled in her hair. She could hear her lover whispering to her in Spanish but couldn’t make out what she was saying, she couldn’t lift her head from the shoulder on which it was resting. And she could still feel the phallus deep insider her as her inner walls continued to milk it, sending further ripples of pleasure pulsating through her centre.

As gently as she could, without losing contact with her lover, Dani withdrew the phallus slowly from Grace’s centre, and deftly unclipped the straps holding it to her waist.

“Grace” Dani whispered after what seemed ages but was only a few minutes. “My love”

“mmmm” Grace mumbled, eyes still closed, head still resting on Dani’s shoulder.

“Grace, I need you to help me get you out of these restraints okay?”

“Mmmm” another almost incoherent mumble.

“Fuck you’re heavy” Dani breathed. While the arm restraints were carrying most of Grace’s weight, Dani was still using her own body to pin Grace to the wall to take some of the strain off her shoulders when she had almost collapsed. Dani was strong, but Grace was significantly heavier than her, and they had both exerted enormous amounts of energy. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could support Grace and was loath to let her go and use the mechanical release on the far wall.

Grace registered the expletive and the strain in her lovers’ voice and immediately became more alert. She picked her head up and tried to reset her legs beneath her. Her shoulders ached but she pulled against the restraints and righted herself. She felt shaky and boneless, but she was as upright as she could get.

“Gracias mi amor” Dani grinned up at her lover who seemed too dazed to say anything.

Dani quickly unclipped the wrist restraints and Grace’s arms dropped uselessly to her sides as she slid down the wall. Dani quickly did the same to her ankle restraints and immediately encouraged Grace to stretch out on the blanket with her.

Grace looked at Dani with a mix of adoration and awe. She had never experienced anything like that in her life and knew that she would only ever have been able to give herself over like that to Dani. She tried to speak but her mouth was dry and her throat hurt.

Her retinal display started to flash a warning and again she began to speak “Dani, I need….” but Dani silenced her with a kiss.

“Shhh” Dani crooned knowingly “Don’t speak” and kissed her quickly before pulling her bag closer and reaching in. She could see signs the impending ‘crash’. Grace’s flushed cheeks and overheated body, the mesh underlayer showing through her skin, her unfocused gaze and uneven breathing. She pulled out a med-gun and pressed it to Grace’s thigh, delivering her meds without a word. She then held out a bottle of water for her lover which she immediately downed.

Grace immediately responded to the medication and hydration and turned to her side to wrap Dani up in a gentle but strong embrace, nuzzling into her neck and drawing in her scent.

As Grace returned to her body, she registered the nakedness of her lover against her, and despite her recent orgasms, her belly tightened again, and she pressed herself into her smaller lover, breathing in the scent of her hair, cupping her breast with one hand, and moving the other to her hip, waiting for permission.

Dani immediately felt a hitch in her breath, her desire for Grace’s touch seemed never ending. She pressed back against Grace and reached back to grasp her hipbone, urging her to proceed, she tilted her pelvis and opened her legs.

Grace gasped at the amount of slick wetness pooled at Dani’s centre. Her hand slid though her folds and found the small engorged bud she was looking for. She kissed Dani’s neck, along her jaw, behind her ear, all the while sliding her fingers rapidly and firmly over Dani’s clit.

It didn’t take long, Dani’s orgasm was sharp and fast, but it barely took the edge off, which Grace knew.

She rolled them both over so that she was laying on top of the smaller woman “Dani, I …” she shook her head “I’ve never experienced anything like that before” she smiled almost shyly and dipped her head to kiss her lover tenderly.

“I kinda hoped you hadn’t” Dani admitted cheekily. She was responding again to Grace’s kiss and her hips started to betray her rising desire.

“Do you” Grace hesitated “Is that something you’d like me to do for you?” She questioned hesitantly.

“Maybe one day mi amor” she wrapped her legs around Grace’s hips “But for now, I just want you to make love to me” she breathed out slowly as Grace slid two fingers inside Dani, quickly followed by a third and, slowly, a fourth.

Dani felt so full. So connected to her lover, that again, her orgasm built quickly, and she rode it out almost silently, clinging to Grace as a tear escaped each eye.

Grace felt the orgasm and saw the tears, but as soon as she stopped, Dani shook he head and urged her to keep going. Grace kissed the two tears away as she continued to slide in and out of her lover, she kissed down her collarbone, to her flat quivering stomach, until she reached the wet thatch of curls. She inhaled deeply and dipped her head, immediately capturing the bundle of nerves between her lips.

Dani’s body didn’t feel like her own any more. It felt under the complete control of Grace, and as she felt her stomach tighten for another orgasm, she raised her head so she could connect with her lover. Their eyes met and with a flick of Grace’s tongue, Dani was thrown over the edge again. She fell back against the blanket as her back arched hard against Grace’s unrelenting mouth and fingers which somehow picked up pace midway through Dani’s orgasm, sending her over the crest of yet another. This time she cried out loudly as her body shook uncontrollably with release.

She was too overstimulated and began to feel a little out of control.

“Cake!” she cried out breathlessly “Cake!” and she placed a gentle had on her lovers’ cheek.

It took a second for Grace to understand, but immediately she removed her slick fingers and drew her body back alongside Dani’s, wrapping her up in a silent embrace as the last shock-waves of her orgasm washed through her body, and her breath returned to normal.

After a few moments of content silence, Dani started to laugh, and it didn’t take long for Grace to follow suit. Neither had ever experienced the depth of connection they had just had with each other, and after such an intense coupling, it seemed the only way to break the tension was to laugh. And they laughed like they hadn’t for years, like nothing could touch them, like the world was perfect even for just those few moments.

As their laughter subsided, Grace felt Dani’s body become heavy with sleep, she grinned at her partners propensity for sleep, so she pulled a second blanket up around them and quickly joined her lover.

****

Grace woke first and deduced that it was nightfall. They’d been asleep for several hours and her body felt terrible.

“Ouch” She whispered.

She felt Dani stir, and then groan, and then laugh which brought forth more groans.

“Oh my God, I feel like I’ve been hit by a train” Dani tried to push herself upright but every muscle in her body protested.

She turned to her lover who was still prostrate on the blanket and kissed her deeply “A very sexy, very powerful, very fucking unbelievable train” She said around kisses and gentle laughter.

Grace looked like she felt, her short golden locks jutted out in every direction, and her eyes, although happy and again filled with desire, were nonetheless tired. Dani noticed the slight marks against Grace’s neck and gasped

“Lo siento mi amor!” She stroked the red patch on Grace’s neck and picked up her arm to observe the same on her wrists.

“Dani” Grace crooned. “Don’t even worry about it. You won’t even see them in a few more hours” she pulled her lovers face close and kissed her deeply.

“Besides” she looked seductively at Dani “They were Very worth it” Her eyes closed at the memory of what Dani had done to her, and despite her fatigued body, she felt the heat rise insider her again and she drew Dani back down onto her body, kissing her deeply.

“Slow down lover” Dani whispered jokingly and pulled away gently. “We’ve been gone all day, and if we start again, I’m afraid somebody will send a search party”

They both chuckled at the mental image that created.

Quietly they put their clothes back on and put the blanket and all of its contents back into Dani’s bag.

They moved to leave the room but Dani grasped Grace’s hand and stopped her.

“Grace” she spoke almost hesitantly. Not something Grace was used to hearing. “Was that … was I …. Did I hurt you, did it scare you?” She looked at her lover with a hint of fear in her eyes.

Grace immediately scooped up her smaller lover and pressed her gently against the wall. Dani’s legs instinctively wrapping around Grace.

“No. Not in any way” She said sincerely, shaking her head firmly and locking eyes with Dani. “Dani, what we did together was incredible” she paused before continuing “and I understand why we did it here” she looked seriously at her lover “I didn’t know what my body would do, nor did you. It was a way to keep us both safe” she smiled knowingly. “I loved it Dani” she kissed the smaller woman. “I love you” she kissed her again

“Thank you for sharing your fantasy with me Commander” she said with a slight glint in her eyes, and she immediately felt Dani’s body fully relax against hers. “Maybe we can do it again one day” and she chuckled as Dani groaned.

“Grace, I’m going to be walking funny for a week!” she gently nipped Grace’s lips when she smiled triumphantly “Just because you can bounce back in less than a day!” she hrumphed and wiggled out of Grace’s embrace and marched quickly out of the room.

Grace laughed out loud as she watched her Commander. Dani was indeed walking with a slightly more careful gait than normal.

“Not a word soldier!” Dani called back.

Grace smirked, picked up the duffle bag, and hurried along behind her.

****


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, not a lot of plot development in this chapter.  
> A little bit of steamy, a little bit of angst, and some medical stuff

Evelyn and her team had managed to mine some data from the fried microprocessor inside the Rev-9. And activity on the base was more focused than normal.

They pooled their own intel from recon missions in the Alaska and Patagonia strongholds, with the fragments of information from the microprocessor from the Rev-9, and they learned that Legion was in the final stages of testing their TD device and that it would likely be ready within the year, sooner if testing went well.

They confirmed what the Commander had somehow earlier surmised (under Sarah’s tutelage) that the device could only transport organic material back in time, which meant that nothing outwardly metallic or textile could be transported, so they knew it would be the Rev-9 which would use it when the time came. Its’ mimetic liquid alloy able to mimic organic skin.

And they knew that Legion had targeted Dani both here in the present, and as a possible target in the past should the TD chamber be used.

Dani was consumed with locating the TD chamber and had specifically charged the Spec-Op’s team with the task. Recon missions had suggested that the device was being developed in a off-site location somewhere in North America, but that was a lot of ground to cover, especially as they had no idea how to actually identify it.

Evelyn and the rest of the engineering team were given the task of figuring out how it might operate and therefore how it could be switched off or destroyed. Half of Evelyn’s team wanted to preserve the technology to study it, the rest were happy to let it be destroyed.

Grace felt like she hadn’t seen Dani in days, which was mostly true. Outside of daily briefings, and technical updates, they barely saw each other. They stole quick kisses in corridors, and shared quick perfunctory meals in the mess. But invariably one of them got pulled away before either of them could actually speak to the other.

Inevitably at night, one would be up doing paperwork or planning for the next day, and they were lucky to capture a few hours together in bed before the sun rose and it all began again.

As a Captain, Grace was now expected to attend all high-level intelligence meetings. And being Spec Op’s, Dani wasn’t always there. Spec Op’s was a team that operated with the Commanders implicit consent, but without the Commander necessarily needing to know every movement unless it yielded intelligence they could use in their fight against Legion.

Dani had made the decision to let Spec Ops operate separately under committee control, not hers. In part because Dani had never been a soldier, and in part because she felt that such an important part of the Resistance ought not to be run by one person.

After three hours of listening to Evelyn, Spencer and Amir discuss the potential TD chamber, how it might work, how it might be shut down, and Amir’s clear enthusiasm over how they could possibly retrieve it undamaged for their own research and use, Grace felt herself grow frustrated.

She wasn’t used to sitting in long meetings, and she also wasn’t used to being without Dani for long periods of time.

She asked for an adjournment until tomorrow morning, to which Hadrell and Evelyn eagerly agreed. And they left the briefing room in various directions.

Grace had one thing on her mind, so she headed for the Commander’s quarters, nodding to the security detail. Entering the elevator and pressing her thumb to the DNA reader.

Dani had added Grace’s profile to it a few days after they were first together. She was only one of three Resistance members that she knew of who had access. Hadrell, Evelyn, and herself. She had wondered about the tall blonde doctor and the Commander on occasion but had decided not to ask. She’d had an active and varied sex life before Dani and was sure Dani had had the same. She knew Evelyn and Dani were, or had been, more than friends, but she didn’t need to know more. Regardless, Evelyn was essentially Dani’s right-hand so of course she would keep access to the Commanders quarters regardless of their past personal relationship.

The elevator opened and thankfully Dani was nowhere to be seen.

Grace had had an idea building for the last several days and she needed a few minutes to put it into action. After that she’d wait. She smirked and went to work.

***

Dani groaned as she entered the elevator to her quarters. The day had been long and intense, and she had tried to find Grace in her quarters and in the gym and in the mess but had no success. Since becoming a Captain she saw less and less of her lover, and it was making her decidedly grumpy.

She sighed and rolled her shoulders, trying to release some tension. The doors of the elevator opened and immediately she smiled.

She couldn’t see her lover immediately, but she could see the gentle candlelight flicker off the walls, and hear the soft music.

She walked through the small corridor, past the small kitchenette and into her bedroom. Her breath hitched.

Grace was sitting up in bed naked, the sheet pulled loosely around her waist, one leg cocked. He had a glass of wine in one hand and the other draped loosely over the headboard.

“I thought you might like some wine and some me” Grace said cheekily.

Dani laughed out loud and eagerly striped off her clothing, approaching the bed. She leant down and kissed her lover deeply, like a woman who’d gone without water for too long. Grace pulled back and handed her the glass of wine and Dani took a long pull, feeling it hit her almost empty belly immediately.

“I’ve definitely needed some wine and some you” she crooned and knelt beside her reclining lover. She dipped her head again, and her hands began to roam her lover’s body. Her small firm nipples stood at attention and Dani felt herself get wet immediately.

She’d never been with someone who’s physicality immediately aroused her like Grace’s did. Obviously, Grace was so much more than her physical self, but every time Dani touched her body, she felt like an addict.

She ran her fingers down Grace’s ribcage and Grace moaned lightly. Her hands trailed back up along her firm abdomen and she felt it quiver under her fingers.

She briefly got annoyed at the sheet that still half covered her lover so she flipped it back and gasped.

She looked at Grace’s hooded expression then back down to Grace’s crotch.

“Fuck” Dani whispered.

“That’s my intention my love” Grace whispered and rose up from the bed, scooping Dani’s smaller body up and placing her down on the matters, never breaking her kiss.

She reached down between Dani’s legs and found Dani wet and ready, so without a word she lay on-top of her lover and pushed her hips forward, inserting the purple ribbed dildo slowly all the way to the hilt.

Dani went boneless, her back arching and her hands going above her head to find purchase.

Grace grinned and kissed her lover deeply, withdrawing and inserting the dildo again. She was amazed at how it felt to be inside her lover and to have both hands free to explore and do other things, she grinned again and lifted one of Dani’s arms above her head and deftly wrapped her wrist in the soft restraint she’d hidden behind the headboard.

“Mi amor” Dani breathed, trying to pick up the pace with her hips, her excitement growing as Grace restrained her other arm above her head.

“Yes, my love” Grace answered as she lowered herself back down to Dani and kept the slow rhythm with her hip.

Dani was beyond words and Grace felt a burst of adoration bloom in her chest. She dipped her head and kissed Dani deeply, for long minutes, exploring her mouth and drawing her inside hers.

By the end of the kiss they were both breathless and Grace’s hips had picked up momentum without her knowing.

She braced herself on her elbows and looked down into the dark hooded eyes of her lover.

“If I remember correctly” she smirked “and I always do” she pushed the dildo more firmly with her hips. “You said that you liked this one when you felt like a good, quick fuck?’ Grace accentuated the words by harshly pulling the dildo almost out and ramming it back in.

Dani pushed her head back and arched off the bed. She pulled on her restraints, trying to pull her lover closer. Her inability to do so, turning her on even more.

“Por favour” she breathed. And wrapped her sleek legs around Grace’s narrow hips, using them to try and keep her lover close.

“Oh, don’t you worry love” Grace kissed her neck, and her breasts, keeping the rhythm up with her hips.

Dani was essentially incoherent. He could feel her orgasm build, but the delicious feeling of Grace’s weight on top of her, of her hands and her lips on her body were again making her feel somewhat out of body.

Grace watched her lovers’ neck and face flush and began picking up her pace.

“Is this what you mean” She panted in Dani ears as she pushed her hips harshly into Dani’s centre.

“uunghhh” Dani replied incoherently.

“A good, hard, quick, fuck” Grace whispered into her ear and bit on her earlobe.

“uugh! faster!” she grunted and tilted her pelvis to receive Grace more fully. Her hips were now moving quickly, rubbing the ribbed walls of the dildo deliciously against her inner walls. And each time Grace entered her all the way, the tip of the curved dildo pushed against her most tender spot, making it impossible for her to form coherent words.

Grace bore down and moved at the pace Dani’s legs were setting for her. Fast and hard. Beads of sweat dripped down her face, and back, she had wanted to take Dani like this ever since watching her pleasure herself during their day in the cell not so long ago. And being with her like this, so connected, was beyond what she had imagined it could be.

Dani’s legs tightened around her hips and she continued to pump just as quickly, just as harshly.

Dani let out a low groan as her orgasm began, a groan which turned into a pleasure filled yell as Grace continued to ram her hips forward sending her into a second.

Grace felt Dani’s whole-body tremble with the force of her orgasms, seeming not under her control anymore. Her legs tightened impossibly around Grace’s hips and halted her movements.

“Enough! Para! Te amo!” Dani arched off the bed again as aftershocks swept through her body, but was held back by the restraints.

Grace remained still, kissing the wild heartbeat at Dani’s neck. Capturing her lips again in a soft, gentle kiss. As Dani’s breathing slowly returned to normal and her legs stopped trembling.

“I love it when you speak Spanish to me” she licked Dani’s sweaty neck “It usually means that you’re either angry or horny or both. She kissed her gently again “But either way, there’s a spark in your eyes when you do it, it’s instinctual” She kissed Dani again and reached up to release the arm restraints. Almost instantly Dani’s arms encircled Grace’s back, but Grace could feel the weak tremor that still ran through them.

She slowly pulled her hips back and Dani hissed in pleasure. With the dildo out, Grace lowered her body back down onto Dani’s and wrapped her up tightly.

“I’ve missed you Dani” She said quietly.

“Te quiero mi amor” Dani whispered back and ran her hands along Grace’s long back, up into her hair and pulled her close for a kiss.

Again, Dani let a few tears escape as she kissed her lover, and again Grace kissed them away gently. Not needing to speak.

They lay like this for long moments until Dani suddenly became very aware of her full bladder.

Grace registered Dani’s discomfort and pushed herself up so that the smaller woman could crawl out and scamper off to the bathroom.

Grace removed the harness and tossed it to the floor. Waiting for her lover to join her.

Dani just as quickly scampered back to the bed and curled her body into Grace’s side.

She rested her hand on Grace’s chest and marvelled at how the steady heartbeat below always soothed her.

“When do you leave” Dani spoke quietly, referring to Grace’s next Spec Op’s mission

Grace looked at her watch. “Around 48 hours”

Dani smiled and lowered her hand along Grace’s firm abdomen. Scratching her blunt fingernails across the warm skin.

Grace closed her eyes and appreciated the sensation. Her belly tightening both in response to her lovers’ touch, and to her own arousal.

Dani quickly kissed Grace, jumped out of bed and picked up the harness.

Grace’s stomach curled and she asked “Dani, what are you doing?”

“There’s a lot we _can_ do in 48 hours Grace” she came out of the bathroom wearing the strap on and the cleaned purple dildo “But all I _want_ to do is fuck you like you just fucked me.

Grace flopped back onto the mattress and accepted her lover on top of her. She closed her eyes as she felt the dildo enter her, and almost immediately her mouth fell open as she left what Dani had been describing.

The ribbed edges rubbed against her inner walls in an almost vibratory way. The curled end pushed against a sensitive spot inside her and she couldn’t think straight.

Dani grinned knowingly and picked up her pace.

“This is why it’s always hard and fast with this one” Dani panted as she pumped her hips quicker.

Grace placed a gentle hand on the small of Dani’s back, the other she threw over her face, trying to silence the involuntary sounds coming out of her.

She opened her legs wider and tilted her pelvis up, trying to receive as much as her lover a she could.

Dani clenched her jaw as she felt another orgasm build inside her at the sight of her lover in rapture. She reached for Grace’s hand and slid it between them, asking without having to speak. Immediately Grace’s fingers found her clit and stroked it in time with her hips.

Dani’s head dropped to Grace’s chest as she thrust a few more times and felt her lover arch off the bed. Dani twitched her hips, letting Grace’s fingers rub against her a few more times and she groaned out her own release again. 

Grace’s legs didn’t seem to want to stop shaking so she dropped them back to the bed.

Dani giggled and kissed her lovers’ sweaty neck.

“So, I take it you like this one too?” she pushed gently back inside Grace and withdrew slowly.

Grace’s eyes fluttered closed as an aftershock washed through her body. She could only nod.

Dani quickly removed the harness and threw it back to the floor before pulling the sheets up around them and scooting back, waiting for Grace to turn and gather her close from behind.

Grace’s pulse was still racing and her breathing was slowly returning to normal. She pulled Dani’s smaller body into her and kissed the back of her neck.

“The things you do to me” she whispered in awe. Running her hand along the dips and curves of Dani’s tight body in quiet appreciation.

Dani turned her head and kissed her lover deeply, taking Grace’s hand and placing it over her breast before putting her head back on the pillow.

“You have no idea mi amor” Dani whispered her own appreciation.

She felt Grace’s body become heavy and made note of it. It was unusual for Grace to fall asleep before she had. She’d noticed Grace’s tired eyes as soon as she saw her but had been quickly distracted.

She’d have to talk to Dr Yeo about Grace’s energy input tomorrow. Obviously the increased physical and mental demands of being Captain weren’t being matched by her energy intake somehow. They’d both been so busy recently, she hadn’t been paying attention to ensure Grace was looking after herself.

Her brows furrowed in concern for her lover, but Grace’s warmth and weight soon made her forget her train of thoughts and she followed her lover into sleep a few minutes later. 

****

Dani woke around 7am the next morning and Grace was still asleep. Dani stoked her cheek and Grace opened her eyes and smiled brightly at her lover.

“Morning” she stretched.

“Morning love” Dani answered back. She looked pointedly at the clock beside her bed and Grace swore, jumping out of bed and straight into the shower.

“Fuck!” she swore angrily. “Why’d you let me sleep so long Dani?” she asked while scrubbing her body.

“Sorry love. I hadn’t set an alarm. I’d decided I needed a break and handed things over to the committee today” she joined her lover in the shower and helped her scrub her back.

Grace relaxed, she didn’t actually have anywhere to be for another hour, but since becoming Captain she felt like she needed to always be early, always be prepared. She sighed and let her lover wash her body for her “I’m sorry”

“It’s okay” Dani smiled. The simple pleasure of getting to be with Grace in the morning washed away the sting she might have felt.

Grace coughed slightly which made Dani remember her thoughts from yesterday.

“Mi amor?” Dani asked and Grace turned around, taking the soap and reciprocating for her lover.

“Hmmm” She answered absently and coughed again.

“I’d like you to go see Dr Yeo sometime today okay” Grace had stopped scrubbing Dani’s back.

“Why?” she queried, a bit bemused by the request.

“I’m just worried about you” she turned around and took Grace’s hands “You’ve taken on so much so quickly, and you seem more tired than usual” she saw Grace’s jaw square and quickly asked “For me?”

Grace, unable to deny Dani at the best of times was ill equipped to while naked in a shower with her. She nodded. “okay”

****

The day passed quickly for Grace, she was helping to oversee the new Augment recruits, most of whom would become her squad, just as she and her team of recruits had become Hadrell’s.

Since Grace’s addition, there were now about a dozen captains in the Resistance, and Harper was considered the one to serve under by the new recruits. Hadrell had been around for longer, but as a Major he didn’t take on recruits anymore, but Harper had his backing and had more than earned her stripes if the stories floating around the barracks were anything to go by.

Grace had picked Torez to be her second in command, and together they spent the day taking the new Augments through drills and scenarios out in the field. They had all passed basic Augment training, so Grace wanted them properly field ready ASAP.

Rumours were building of Legions TD device, rumours that were on point to the intel she received in the morning’s official briefing. Alert levels were high, and the base had never felt so still and yet so busy all at the same time.

Grace wanted to take her team away from the base for this reason, so she decided on a training ground approximately 20 kilometres from the base. Halfway through the 20 click hump Grace pulled over and pulled out her med-gun. Administering a dose.

Torez saw this and went over to her superior “Captain?” It was a 20-kilometre march in full gear into the training zone and back. Something they’d done dozens of times before, and something that should have been relatively easy work for any Augment, let alone an Augment like Grace.

“I just forgot to eat breakfast today, and dinner last night” she smirked.

Torez nodded but kept an eye on the Captain none the less. She’d noticed darker circles under the Captains eyes recently but was hesitant to bring it up. Assuming she and the Commander were most likely keeping long nights together.

Grace coughed again before joining the squad and suddenly remembered Dani’s request of her this morning.

 _‘it’s probably just a cold’_ she brushed it off but found herself wondering if Augments even got colds.

The training exercise was designed for the recruits to kill or capture Legion assets. It was a live fire exercise, and a gruelling one at that. With the last ‘Legion asset’ being a disabled HK on the landing strip of a thirty-floor building.

Grace guided her team through the exercise. Gently pointing out errors. Saving more than one recruit from having a limb blown off. Showing them the best ways to approach any of the various legion weapons. Focusing on the deadly 7’s and 9’s and obviously the huge, automated HK’s which hunted, killed or captured any human they encountered. She taught them to ALWAYS use x-ray if they encountered an unfamiliar face, having learned that lesson the hard way. And she taught them that being human meant that their brains were elastic, they weren’t programmed to complete a mission at all cost, they could think outside the box, they could improvise, and importantly, they could easily outsmart a terminator who only had the ability to see its’ objective, whereas her team could prioritise, and set objectives within objectives.

By the end of the day everyone was exhausted but as a team much more tightly bonded. Which was the whole point of the exercise, Grace grinned inwardly. She advised her recruits to meet her in the mess at nineteen hundred and broke away to go shower and change. She coughed again, this time more forcefully, and almost swore at her forgetfulness.

Instead of the showers she headed to the med bay and sought out Dr Yeo who was always happy to see the young Augment.

“Grace” she smiled. “What can I do for you”

Grace coughed again and grinned at the doctor “I’m under strict orders to get this cough checked out”

“I see” Dr Yeo grinned conspiratorially at her and put on her stethoscope.

“Deep breath” she said several times as she checked Grace’s lungs and could hear no rattles or fluid.

“It could just be a small irritation you breathed in, or it could be a cold, maybe the flu”

“Can we get colds” Grace asked

“hmmm, not normally, but it does happen sometimes during cold and flu season. A good portion of the base goes down with it, but not normally Augments. Actually, thinking of it I’ve already seen about a half dozen cases on base this week, so it must be going around”

Grace nodded, recalling the colder months in Seattle where it seemed as though half the settlement she lived in would get sick for a few weeks.

“Still, I’d like to run a few more tests if that’s okay” Dr Yeo notice the dark circles under Grace’s eyes. “Have you had to use your meds recently?’”

Grace nodded “During this mornings training, but to be fair I hadn’t eaten properly beforehand”

Dr Yeo nodded and inserted the small probe into Grace’s wrist and drew a few vials of blood while she waited for Grace’s stats to be downloaded.

“this is going to be uncomfortable” she warned as she took out a long swab and deftly inserted it up Grace’s nose into her nasopharyngeal cavity.

“Dammit Doc” Grace wheezed as her eyes teared up involuntarily. 

“I won’t have all the results until tomorrow, but your white blood cell count is quite high which generally means you have an infection, so I’d like to admit you for more tests”.

Grace shook her head and coughed lightly again “Can’t doc I have another training exercise I need to plan for tomorrow morning, and we head out tomorrow evening”

 _‘fucking soldiers’_ the doctor sighed. It was always an uphill battle, and she usually only ever won when they were too sick to resist.

“But I promise, when I get back, I’m all yours” she looked at her watch “48 hours from now” she grinned and Dr Yeo could only shake her head and bat her patient off her table. Handing her two days-worth of oral antibiotics to tide her over until then.

***

Grace entered Dani’s quarters _‘It’s strange how normal this has become so quickly’_ and flopped down onto the large bed. She was exhausted, and she knew there was something wrong with her metabolic functions, but she just needed to get through a few more days and then Torez could take over the recruits and she would take a day or two to let Dr Yeo sort it out.

She accessed her RD which confirmed what Dr Yeo had already told her. Mild fever, elevated white blood cell count, mild dehydration etc etc. She switched it off and sighed. She didn’t have time to get sick.

She coughed again, and got up, filled a large glass of water and downed it quickly with a couple of the pills, followed by a second glass to which she added hydration salts. She pulled out a field ration and chewed on it making note that she and Dani would have to get a proper meal at the mess tonight with the new squad. She wanted to introduce them all to the Commander.

She lay back down wondering what her lover had got up to on her day off. Smiling as she realised that Dani was about as capable of taking a day off as she was.

She drifted off to sleep with thoughts of her lover in her head.

“Grace” came a gentle voice, and an equally gentle stroke through her hair.

“Hmmmm” she turned over and wrapped her arms around her lover’s hips and continued to accept the tender strokes through her hair and across her face.

“I brought you food love” Dani tried to feel for a change in Grace’s temperature but as an Augment she always ran hotter. It was rare for Grace to sleep so soundly, so often.

“food?” Grace murmured confused.

“You’ve been asleep all evening Grace” she cupped her lover’s cheek and smiled tenderly. Grace always appeared several years younger when she was sleeping or just waking from a sleep, and it always melted Dani’s heart.

Grace pushed herself upright and coughed again. Smelling the food, her stomach growled.

“Dammit! I wanted you to meet my new team over dinner tonight” she said with a tinge of disappointment.

“Torez made sure the happened” Dani smiled “Love, did you go see the doctor today” Dani asked gently. Not liking the colour of Grace’s skin nor the dark circles under her eyes.

Grace nodded vigorously. “She thinks it’s just a cold, maybe the flu” she fed another fork full into her mouth and spoke around it “She wants to admit me in a couple days to run some tests” Grace knew it was a white lie “She said it’s probably nothing”

Dani pursed her lips and made a note to check with Dr Yeo tomorrow to get the full truth _‘Fucking soldiers’_ she rolled her eyes.

“Dani, the new recruits are going to be a great team!” Grace had finished her food and excitedly told Dani about the training exercise. Dani’s smile broadened as her lover excitedly told her about each new member and rattled off some small detail about each one that stuck in her mind “Taylor has two younger brothers in the Washington settlement. Gomez used to be a pastry Chef! So, I thought I’d introduce her to Bruce close to Christmas” she grinned enthusiastically. “Kahn was spec ops in Pakistan and he’s damn good. He’ll definitely make Captain one day, and he’s a good mentor, doesn’t let his experience go to his head, McCormack, you’d like her, she’s tough and sassy, she took out a Rev-7 when she was just 19!” Grace said with awe “did it with a fall pit and some rebar” She took a breath and grinned around her hot cup of coco that Dani had saved for her.

“Sounds like quite the team” Dani agreed. Of course, she already knew most of what Grace was telling her. She made it a point to try to get to know every Augment personally. Just like she had with Grace and sharing dinner with them tonight had been a nice experience for her.

Grace nodded sleepily and Dani took her cup from her hands and removed the tray of empty dishes.

“Tired?” Dani asked.

“I’m sorry hon” Grace apologised.

“Don’t even” Dani stopped her. She pulled back the sheets and tucked her lover in. She still had a few hours of paperwork to do, but she could do that at the desk here in her quarters.

She was a little worried about Grace and didn’t really want to leave her, plus the sound of Grace’s deep even breathing was comforting.

****

When Grace next awoke it was well into the night. She reached out and found Dani’s sleeping form, and unconsciously the smaller woman scooted herself back into Grace’s warm body. Grace really didn’t feel well and promised herself to go see Dr Yeo tomorrow with her tail between her legs.

Her RD was telling her that her white blood cells were even more elevated, she had elevated inflammatory markers, and her liver enzymes had risen over the last few hours. She had a headache and her throat was dry. _‘Just a cold or flu’_ She told herself deliriously as she drifted off to sleep.

****

“Dani, I’ll go!” Grace almost yelled at her lover. “I just need a couple more hours of sleep”

Dani had woken early in the morning and felt like she was on fire. She pulled herself up and realised that it was Grace. She’d soaked through her clothes and was definitely running a fever.

“You’ll go now, or I’ll call her down here now!” Dani said sternly.

Grace sighed, she tried to push herself up from the bed and a wave of nausea swept through her. She managed to stumble to the bathroom and empty her already empty stomach, making her way back to the bed on unsteady feet.

“It’s just the flu” Grace sighed in defeat.

“Augments aren’t supposed to get sick” Dani countered.

“Dr Yeo said that it can happen” Grace retorted weakly. Dumping herself back into bed and pulling the sheets up over herself.

“Well then we’ll get Dr Yeo to reassess that?”

Grace had rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head. It definitely wasn’t like her to be sick like this and it worried Dani.

“My recruits!” Grace suddenly bolted upright. Trying to find her clothing.

“You don’t seriously think I’m letting you train today do you Captain?” Dani said in the tone of the Commander.

“But ...” Grace countered, still trying to pull her fatigues up her legs.

“I’ve already informed Torez that you’ve got the flu and need a couple days. She’s happy to take over until you return”

“You did what?” Grace asked and immediately began coughing.

Dani went to her near delirious lover and handed her a glass of water with two antibiotic tablets and two ibuprofen which she gulped down.

“Lay back down and try to sleep. I’ll ask Dr Yeo to come do a home visit to check on you okay” She kissed Grace on the forehead and as much as she was loath to leave her sick lover, she had several top-level briefings to attend that morning which she couldn’t miss.

She left a message for Dr Yeo to call her back when she had the chance, and immediately lost several hours to intel gathering, scenario proposals, weapon design and TD neutralisation strategy.

When she came out of the briefing there were several messages from Dr Yeo waiting for her, each more urgent than the next. The last, left only minutes ago, asking her to meet her at the Commanders private elevator.

She looked up and saw Evelyn moving quickly in her direction.

“Dani, it’s Grace” she said with a worried look. She held up the portable screen she carried with her. “Her microprocessor sent out a medic alert a few minutes ago, her readings are all over the place”

“Dr Yeo is down there now, I’ve gotta go” Evelyn nodded and watched her friend take off.

Dani dashed off without another word, reaching the tunnel, seeing Dr Yeo, a med tech, and a gurney. Dr Yeo was losing her temper at one of the guards on duty.

“I’m sorry ma’am, there is literally no way for us to override the security protocols to the Commander’s quarters” he tried to explain for the tenth time. “I’ve tried to buzz down but the Captain is not picking up”

“But I need to get down there ASAP soldier!”

“Doctor!” Dani yelled as she got closer. “What’s going on?”

“Commander” she said professionally. “I took blood and diagnostics from Captain Harper yesterday” she put her hand on her hips angrily “I’d suggested she might have the flu because her white blood cells were elevated and her nasal swab did come back positive for influenza”

Danni quirked her head “This can’t just be the flu, Eve just showed me her vitals”

Dr Yeo quickly proceeded “Her results came in this morning and I looked at her diagnostics a bit closer” she stopped and clenched her teeth “She’s on the verge of sepsis Commander”

Dani swore and opened the elevator doors, quickly letting Dr Yeo and the medic inside, she pressed her thumb to the DNA reader and the doors began to close

“Explain” Dani said calmly as the elevator began its’ descent.

Dr Yeo threw her hands up in the air “I don’t know exactly how it happened, but her blood is full of cellular debris, her liver enzymes are elevated, and her kidney function is down. Her WBC count is through the roof, and for some reason her plasma nanite count is way lower than it should be”

“But” Dan turned to the doctor “She hasn’t had any major trauma since the warehouse incident”

“I know!” she agreed “it doesn’t make any sense”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened but the room was as dark as she’d left it hours ago, and Grace appeared to still be curled up in the same position she’d left her in this morning. A feeling of dread pulled at her stomach as she turned the lights on, and Grace didn’t move.

“Grace” she called out softly and still no movement.

She pulled the blanket away and immediately yelled for Dr Yeo. Grace was trembling, unconscious and burning up. Her clothes were soaked through again, and her mesh dermal layer stood out angrily against her pale skin.

She stepped back as Dr Yeo quickly took over.

Dani watched helplessly as Dr Yeo immediately administered two doses from Grace’s med-gun. She attached her to a portable monitor and Grace’s stats appeared. Her heartbeat appeared thready and weak, and Dani let out a small breath.

“She’s burning up 106, Her o2 sats are way too low 30%, and she’s hypovolemic” Dr Yeo said and expertly inserted a cannula into her arm, getting the medic to hold the IV bag, and then attached an oxygen mask firmly to Grace’s face. Together they lifted her onto the gurney.

“She’s going to seize if we don’t bring her temp down now!” she cracked a few instant ice packs and placed them around Grace’s neck, chest, and armpits. “This definitely looks like sepsis, but I don’t know how or why. We need to get her to trauma Commander”

As Dr Yeo predicted Grace started having a seizure on the gurney, but other than roll her on her side to keep her airway clear, they couldn’t do anything until it passed. Dani watched helplessly as her lover’s body went completely ridged, her eyes rolled back in her head, and her body shook violently for close to a minute before going completely limp again.

Immediately Dani opened the elevator again and held Grace’s overly warm hand in hers as they ascended. Swearing to herself the whole way up that she’d left Grace this morning.

They’d just started exiting the tunnel when the monitor on the gurney chimed. “She’s coding!” The young medic said, and they brought the gurney to another momentary stop. Without thinking Dani immediately jumped onto the bed, straddled Grace’s hips and began chest compressions while the medic attached a bag to her oxygen mask and ventilated for her. Dani had done her fair share of medic training over the years, so she knew in that moment exactly what to do.

The gurney began moving again, Dr Yeo and the young medic pulling it quickly through the tunnel and past the barracks.

Dani felt beads of sweat form on her brow and she pushed on her lover’s chest _‘not this time Grace’_ she thought and she kept even compressions, using the full weight of her upper body to press almost violently down onto Grace’s heart, keeping the blood and oxygen pumping through it until they could get her to trauma. “Come on!” she yelled at her prone lover. Grace’s usually strong body offering no resistance to each compression, her skin red and inflamed, but her lips and fingertips tinged blue.

“Cyanotic, no rhythm” the medic called out.

Dani kept pumping and although the trip only took a few minutes she felt like she’d run a marathon by the time they entered the medical facility and she was urged from the gurney.

Dr Yeo called for paddles, and immediately pressed them to Grace’s chest, once, then twice before getting a rhythm.

Grace began to breath on her own, but Dr Yeo sedated her, having an uneasy feeling that they would need to intubate her and take her to theatre soon.

“Push another two litres STAT, keep those ice packs on her, I need a CBC, Chem panel, get a central line started, and get her to CT now!” Dr Yeo ordered the med team who met them at the doors.

Dani leant heavily against the wall, not quite able to process what had just happened.

“Commander” Dr Yeo approached her.

“She said it was the flu” Dani shook her head.

“We should know soon, but what I think has happened is that she’s had a very low-grade infection for a very long time. Nothing we would have picked up on because her augmented body would have kept it at bay” she took another breath “But I also think that, with her immune system fighting off whatever is going on inside of her, it left her open to catching the flu that’s going around” she placed her hands on her hips and breathed deeply “Two infections, and a compromised immune system ….”

“Sepsis” Dani whispered.

Dr Yeo nodded.

“But she just didn’t seem sick until yesterday”

“And that’s not surprising” Dr Yeo agreed. “Augments are incredibly adept at letting their enhancements look after any background infections or wound healing so that they can keep doing what it is they do”

Dani looked up at the doctor and a look of understanding passed between them

“Fucking soldiers” Dani swore.

“Sepsis can take hold quickly and unexpectedly Commander, but we can also treat it quickly and effectively in cases where we can identify the source and administer fluid therapy quickly” Dr Yeo tried reassured her.

“Doctor” one of the med techs came running down the hall toward her and handed her a clipboard.

Dr Yeo spent about 10 seconds looking it over before clenching her jaw and nodding “it’s what I suspected. Her organs are starting to fail, and her immune system just can’t cope with whatever the background infection is”

“So, you find the source of the infection, right?” Dani asked and Doctor Yeo nodded.

“But it’s not always so easy. It could be anywhere, in the tissues of any of her old wounds, or the attachment sites of any of her new augments, and in the mean-time, while we try to find it, her organs will continue to fail”

Dani leant back heavily against the wall again “So what do we do for now?”

“We get her stable” the doctor answered simply “her kidneys are shutting down so we need to put her on dialysis, clean her blood of the debris in it, take the load off her liver and kidneys, we need to start with a broad spectrum IV antibiotics and fluid therapy until we know exactly what the infection is, and when we do, and when she’s stable enough, we likely will need to go in an clean out the infection manually”

Again, Dani nodded. And the doctor took off down the hall.

Dani slid to the floor and put her head against her knees. She wanted to be with Grace, but she knew the trauma rooms were too small for her presence. She’d learned that the first time Grace had been brought in here.

“How much are you going to sacrifice?” she asked a non-existent Grace.

She heard the med unit doors slide open and looked up to see Evelyn jogging her way.

“What was it Dani?” she asked, concern clear in her eyes and she knelt down by her friend. “I saw the stretcher exit the tunnel, you were on top of Grace doing CPR? I was watching Grace’s monitor. Her heart stopped and her body started to go into multi-system failure.”

Dani let herself be vulnerable in front of one of the only people she felt she could be, she wrapped her arms around her friend and cried silently. Evelyn wrapped her friend up tightly and offered her what little support she could.

“Dani” asked after several moments “Please tell me what’s happening?”

And Dani explained what little she knew. Evelyn guided them to the familiar waiting room and poured the Commander a cup of strong coffee. They sat down together and waited.

After approximately two hours the doors to the room opened and Dr Yeo poked her head through “You can see her now”

Dani immediately bolted from her chair and Evelyn followed.

“I need to warn you. She’s still critical but stable. She’s on dialysis, so you’ll see a large machine by her bed, recycling her blood, she is weak, but she is breathing on her own which is a good sign. We did a CT and I should have those result back any minute. We’ll know what course of action to take from there’

Dani entered Grace’s bay and although she’d been warned it still made her heart jump to see how many cables and tubes were either going into or coming out of her lovers now very frail looking body.

She went directly to the most unencumbered side of the bed and grasped Grace’s warm hand. Grace smiled back and squeezed.

“Just the flu hey” she said and rolled her eyes at her prone lover who rolled her eyes back.

Evelyn came to the other side of Grace’s bed and squeezed her forearm. “Bonjour Captain” she smiled brightly “good to see you awake” Grace nodded and smiled back “It’s not every day the barracks get to see that kind of excitement” Grace laughed and immediately grimaced. “I’ll leave you two alone for a bit. William will want to know what’s happening, as will Torez and the Captains team” she nodded at Dani, squeezed Grace’s forearm again and left the room.

No sooner had Evelyn left, then Dr Yeo entered carrying Grace’s chart.

“Doctor” Dani spoke.

“Commander, Captain” she nodded to them both.

“So the CT was less useful then we’d hoped” She sighed.

“How so?” Dani asked with furrowed brows.

Dr Yeo pushed a few buttons on the keyboard and an image popped up on the monitor against the wall.

“When we look for an infection, generally a CT scan will show us inflamed tissue, infiltrate etc” she pointed to an obvious white-grey patch on the screen.

She brought up another image “This is Grace’s abdominal cavity”

Dani gasped. It was full of white-grey non-descript patches. Dr Yeo pushed another button and slowly flicked through images.

“We can see evidence of several past concussions, several torn or severed muscles, but almost all of Grace’s recent trauma a has been to her torso, and there’s just too much scarring, too much inflammation for us to pinpoint exactly where we need to focus”

“So you’re just going to open her up and poke the fuck around until you find it” Dani said incredulously. Looking from her lover to the images on the screen, barely able to believe that Grace’s body had withstood so much trauma.

“Not exactly” Dr Yeo said. “We wait a couple days until Grace’s stats are a bit better, and until then, I do things the old-fashioned way”

“Apologies doctor” Dani said contritely for her outburst.

“No need Commander” Dr Yeo said comforting. “Not knowing is one of the most frustrating parts of my job, and it happens all too often. So much of what we do is guess work and instinct, you’d be surprised” She smiled and left the room, saying she’d be back in a couple hours.

Dani sighed and rested her head on her lovers’ hip “You scared me half to death Grace”

“Sorry” Grace answered back in a strained and gravely voice.

“Shhh” Dani stroked her cheek. “You’re going to be okay”

Grace nodded and closed her eyes, drifting quickly to sleep. The toll of the afternoon getting the better of the Commander who soon followed her but woke every ten minutes or so and after an hour she gave up, leaning back in her chair and holding her lovers hand.

The door to the room opened and Torez stepped in “Ma’am” she acknowledged. Dani smiled and nodded for her to come in.

Grace groggily opened her eyes and smiled brightly. “How’d they do?” she asked, her voice still gravely but less strained.

Torez looked between the Commander and the Captain uncomfortably.

“At ease Torez” Dani said “You’re family here okay” she said kindly.

Torez nodded and took the seat opposite the Commander and started rattling off the days’ progress. Dani listened with half an ear and watched the two women interact. She no longer left the stab of jealousy when she looked at Torez, in fact she was grateful Grace had somebody else in her life who could make her loosen up, make her laugh, and make her engage in easy conversation. She smiled as the two talked about the upcoming recon mission.

“Hopefully they’ll figure out what’s wrong with me and I can be there” Dani’s head shot up and she cleared her throat.

Both Grace and Torez looked away guiltily.

“Captain, when you leave here, I am putting you on bed rest until Dr Yeo gives you full medical clearance for active duty” Grace opened her mouth to protest “Am I understood Captain?” Grace nodded.

“Sergeant, I’m sure you’re more than capable of handling a group of unruly recruits while the Captain recuperates?” Dani asked Torez while still eyeing her chastised lover.

“Yes ma’am” Torez replied affirmatively.

Dani nodded and said no more. Letting the two women cautiously proceed with their discussion of the new recruits.

Dr Yeo entered the room again followed by the same young medic from earlier who pulled in a portable ultrasound machine. Dani sat up straighter. And Torez stood to leave the room.

Dr Yeo started to explain “what we need to do is identify the main source of inflammation in Grace’s body, which will likely lead us to the infection itself” Dani and Grace nodded “So what I need to do is old fashioned palpation. If I find a tender spot, or feel something that doesn’t feel right, then we use the ultrasound to get a closer look” Again both Dani and Grace nodded.

“Sure doc” Grace answered.

Dr Yeo nodded to the young medic and introduced her “This is Specialist Romano, she’s shadowing me during her trauma training”

Grace and Dani both nodded at the obviously nervous and somewhat overwhelmed medic.

“Don’t worry Specialist” Grace said in a friendly voice “When I did my trauma rotation I had to shadow a 60 year old functioning alcoholic” Specialist Romano laughed “Dr Yeo here is definitely who you wanna be trained under”

Specialist Romano blushed and ducked her head.

 _‘Great, another one’_ Dani rolled her eyes. The new recruits so easily became awed by the Augments, but Grace and Hadrell in particular had more than their fair share of young soldiers’ attention. Luckily for her, and Evelyn, neither of them really seemed to notice.

“What’s the scariest thing you’ve had to do in the field Captain?” the Specialist asked Grace eagerly as Dr Yeo set up the ultrasound.

Grace looked to Dani and her eyes became serious “Honestly, the scariest thing I’ve ever had to do was to perform CPR on the Commander after a grenade took our unit down. I had to stabilise a piece of shrapnel imbedded inside the Commander’s skull, get her vitals stable, and get her back to trauma”

The medic looked between the two in awe.

“You’re leaving out the part about how that trip almost cost you your own life” Dani said sardonically.

“Yeah, but look at all the cool mods I got from it, she held out her arms and showed off her white Augment scars”

“Fucking Augments” Dr Yeo whispered loudly for the room to hear as she palpated one of Grace’s legs.

Dani laughed, Grace became contrite, and Specialist Romano gulped as Grace’s long muscled legs were put on full display.

“Tell me if you feel any unusual discomfort or pain okay?” I’ve lowered the dose of your pain meds and your muscle relaxants so everything will likely feel a bit off, but anything that stands out okay Captain".

Grace nodded and lay her head back on the pillow, concentrating on the feel of her body under Dr Yeo’s skilled hands. Dr Yeo started with Grace’s extremities, her arms and legs. Slowly and skilfully pressing into muscle and bending joints to their full extension and flexion, searching her skin for any visible cuts or lesions which might be a source of infection. She’d once had a soldier go into sepsis from a tattoo he got in the barracks from a fellow soldier and some 20 year old ink. She’d learned her lesson. Look everywhere.

Dani watched and lost count of the number of scars Dr Yeo ran her fingers over. She knew her lover had scars, she just never spent hours examining each one of them.

Dr Yeo pressed firmly against Grace’s sinus cavities and each plate of her skull, finding several old wounds but nothing Grace registered as painful.

“At least a couple concussions there Captain” Dr Yeo admonished.

She rotated Grace’s left shoulder and Grace grimaced and nodded to Dr Yeo who took the ultrasound machine and showed Private Romano how to identify the structures of the rotator cuff.

“That was when we did the Rev simulation in training and it got me through the shoulder” Grace offered the information to the doctor.

“Clean through by the looks of it” the Private commented.

“Yep” she nodded “It never really gives me any problems though, no weakness or tingling, just the occasional catch if I move it the wrong way”

Dr Yeo stopped the ultrasound wand just at Grace’s armpit “So, here we can see the sub-scapularis has formed quite a lot of scar tissue when it re-attached to the scapula”

Private Romano nodded and took everything in.

“but no notable signs of active inflammation or infection” she said as she continued palpating.

“Mind if I lift your gown Captain?” Dr Yeo asked and Grace quickly assisted her.

Dani noticed the light blush rising to the cheeks of the Specialist and again rolled her eyes.

Dr Yeo palpated along Grace’s rib cage, finding several knots and identifying them as mended osseous tissue from several broken ribs for the young Medic.

She palpated Grace’s pelvis and bladder, finding old pelvic fractures, and an old puncture wound from before she was an augment, but the ultrasound confirmed they were nothing to be concerned about.

“Okay, so this is going to be the not so nice part” she warned, she traced several healed scars and verbally identified them to the Medic. “All of these are healed, but that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt”

Grace nodded and took Dani’s hand. She took a deep breath and focused.

Dr Yeo first selected the surgical incision she had made to extract and reinsert Grace’s power supply. She pressed gently but deeply, telling Grace to breathe evenly and as the soldier relaxed, she could slip her fingers past the abdominals and into the softer tissue beneath.

“Anything”

Grace shook her head.

“Is it okay if I show specialist Romano how to palpate this site Captain?”

Grace nodded. Dani wanted to speak up, but realised the importance of good training, even if that happened to be on her lovers’ body.

“Okay, so with gentle soft fingers, not pointy, press down slowly, you’ll feel the patient guard with their abdominals which is completely expected, but as they relax, and you push further, you can actually get your fingers in deep enough to feel the edge of the liver, and as you slide past that, you’ll feel the outline of the power core”

The medics eyes opened in surprise and awe and the three other women in the room smiled.

Dr Yeo moved on “Okay, liver laceration 1” Dr Yeo informed Grace” She felt the edges of Grace’s liver and pressed into the stab site where the Rev-7 had punctured her before she was an augment’

Grace shook her head.

“Chest tube 1” She palpated between Grace’s ribs and used the ultrasound to detect any abnormal healing or fluid build-up.

“Chest tube 2” she did the same again and by this time the medic was looking a little pique.

Dani took her hand and sat her down on the chair she had occupied.

“It’s never easy Specialist” Dani said softly. “But it does get easier. And every healed wound is a victory” she said with a kind smile.

The Specialist just nodded. “I’ve just never seen anybody survive this many medical interventions” she said with a note of awe.

“That’s why we have the Augment program” Dani replied softly.

“Okay so we’ll do an echo of your heart just to make sure your pericardium healed okay” Dr Yeo pulled another wand from the portable machine and placed it at various locations around Grace’s chest and ribcage, identifying the chambers to the medic. She stopped when she located the scar tissue around the lining of Grace’s heart, it looked unadhered to anything and there was no sign of any clouding around it, so she switched the echo off.

“Okay, so Captain, we need to look at your most recent traumatic injury, we need to track the spear wound from the warehouse battle. It’s not going to be pleasant, but if there’s any pain that stands out you need to let me know”

Grace nodded silently again

The scar where the Rev-9 pierced Grace was hard to miss. It had healed well, but the skin was still mottled and rough to the touch.

Dr Yeo began with slow steady pressure. Beginning just below Grace’s ribcage and pushing down toward her spine, and up toward her lungs.

At a certain point Grace gasped and grabbed Dr Yeo’s hand in a vice grip. Beads of sweat had broken out on her forehead. She began coughing involuntarily which seemed to create more discomfort.

“Grace” Dani said softly as she stroked the sweaty hair back from her lover’s brow

Grace slowly released Dr Yeo’s wrist “Sorry doc”

“Totally okay” she replied. “Okay so I think we found the culprit, perhaps the wound tract may not have healed properly” she looked down at her patient with an apology. “I’m going to have to turn you over and check the exit wound Grace”

Grace nodded slowly and grasped the edge of the bed, pulling herself over onto her side so that her back was exposed

Dr Yeo pointed out several fractures of note to the medic. “This one was from a 7 which almost severed her spine” she pointed to a slightly more pronounced vertebrae. “And this”, she ran her fingers over a scar maybe two inches in diameter “Is where the 9’s spear exited” she pressed tenderly around the exit wound but Grace didn’t react, so she pressed more firmly into the centre of the wound and saw Grace’s grip tighten on the edge of the bed but she didn’t signal any pain.

Dr Yeo then used one hand to brace against Grace’s abdomen near the entry site, and the other to push past the hard muscle of Grace’s back until she felt the softer tissue just under her ribcage.

Grace immediately raised her hand and gasped again.

“Okay I think we know where we need to go” She pulled out the ultrasound wand again and pushed it lightly against the exit wound. Eventually she saw a clear misting of white and grey shadow, indicating inflammation, cellular debris and darker shadowing indicating possible bleeding. She gently turned Grace onto her back and angled the ultrasound against her liver towards the exit wound, and again saw the same discolouration.

She switched the machine off, made a quick note in Grace’s file and placed it down.

“So, it looks like perhaps the projectile tracked some debris into the wound which neither I or the nanites were unable to clear out”

Dani looked confused “isn’t that what the nanites do?”

Dr Yeo nodded “Usually yes, but when Grace came into trauma with that puncture wound, she had already lost half her blood supply” she glanced back down at her notes “We transfused her with over 2 litres of donor blood, and other bolus 2 litres of saline just to try and get her blood pressure back up, and a further 12 litres over the course of two days and then I transfused 500cc of plasma nanites into her. She obviously lost some during surgery, and possibly more in the tank, but her blood samples show us that she’s been functioning with approximately 25% less plasma nanites than she normally should be.

“So while they are supposed to attack, destroy and dispose of foreign material, each time she received another injury or became ill, the nanites were called to the new source of injury” she closed her notes “she simply didn’t have enough circulating in her bloodstream to take care of everything” she sighed. “I’m sorry. I should have predicted this and had her transfused again after she recovered from the surgery”

Dani smiled “Like you could have got her down here”

“Hey!” Grace piped up “I resemble that remark!” she laughed, then coughed, and again grabbed her abdomen.

“Okay, so what do we do from here” Dani asked seriously.

“well, since she actually does have influenza, it would be irresponsible for me to take her to surgery now. We should put her in an isolation until the flu passes, and then go back in and clean up the wound”

“Haven’t you and the Specialist here just put yourselves in danger just by being here?” she said incredulously.

“Flu shots” she reminded the commander. Everyone on base got one this time of year so their risk of catching the virus is pretty low. Unless your immune system is already compromised, she thought to herself and looked down at her sick partner.

Dr Yeo and Specialist Romano left silently, Dani nodded to them both as they exited and sat back down next to her quiet lover. The whirr of the dialysis machine running in the background reminding them that they were definitely not out of the woods yet. Dani replayed the last several hours and silent tears slipped from her eyes.

“Hey” Grace reached up and stroked them away with her thumb “Wanna talk?”

Dani blew out a breath “Your heart stopped Grace” she said bluntly. “Your heart stopped, and I literally climbed on top of you and made it pump” She let another tear fall. “You were so still, and each time I pushed down I was terrified I would break something, but I kept pushing, over and over again” she laid her head back down on Grace’s hip and let the prone soldier stroke your hair. “I was so scared, more than when you came in from the warehouse with the spear through your stomach” she closed her eyes “because this time, I was the one on top of you, trying to keep your heart pumping, and I kept looking down at you, and you looked gone” she kept her eyes closed and let the tears fall.

Grace didn’t really know what to say, so she gently pulled her lover onto the hospital bed with her and placed her head in the crook of her arm.

“Sounds to me like you saved my life Commander” she kissed Dani’s head tenderly.

Dani shrugged and laid a hand over Grace’s chest. Feeling the strong heartbeat underneath.

Grace smiled but couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. She placed her hand over her lovers and let her body drift to sleep.

****

Hadrell opened the door to the Captains hospital room and found them both asleep together in bed. He stood there watching them for a moment, thinking about his relationship to each of them.

He knew the Commander as a fierce, sometimes violent, often uncompromising and decisive leader. But he followed her because she inspired hope, radiated kindness, and to be honest, she just made you love her. She made you believe that goodness could triumph. He followed her because he believed in her, and because he loved her.

When Grace had come into the Commanders life, he had immediately noticed the changes in the Commander. More cautious, more reserved, her eyes would track the tall soldier, and they would become soft, loving almost. When Grace came under his command, he knew he had a tall order to fill. Not only was the Sergeant a formidable soldier, but she meant something to the Commander whether she knew it or not. He knew that the unspoken request of him for every mission was to keep Grace safe, and he knew that as an Augment, that was near impossible.

Over the years he had come to care for them both deeply. He couldn’t really expand on that feeling other than to say that they had become part of his family, and he would protect them as such.

He smiled at the peaceful visage in front of him, closed the door quietly, and stood post, not allowing anyone, even Dr Yeo inside unless she could confirm it was an emergency, which of course she couldn’t. Evelyn came to check on them and even she couldn’t get past her tall lover. She accepted sitting on the floor of the hospital with him, explaining what she knew about what had happened, and about was going to happen.

***

***


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More medical stuff, a lot more character interaction/development, some angst, a bit more plot, and of course a little more hot and steamy.

Grace spent three long days in isolation. Biohazard stickers posted on the door to her room letting anyone entering know that they had to be wearing PPE before entry.

To be honest, aside from missing Dani, she revelled in the quiet.

Her body hadn’t rested in what seemed like years, and now, forcibly kept on the bed by the various drips and tubes in her body, she let herself drift in and out of sleep for days. Granted a lot of that had to do with the strong sedative Dr Yeo had running through her veins.

Dani would visit each night, tell her about the interesting parts of the days’ events, then curl up in bed with her (against Dr Yeo’s orders). If Dani was going to catch the flu from Grace, she would have caught it by now she had said stubbornly. And honestly Dr Yeo couldn’t argue.

The two would fall asleep together, and Dani would return to her quarters late at night, finish off her paperwork, and drop back off to sleep with Oatmeal curled up close to her. A poor substitute for her tall warm lover, but company, nonetheless.

****

On the fourth day Dr Yeo said that Grace’s influenza viral load was undetectable and that her liver and kidney function had risen to an acceptable level to proceed with the surgery.

She warned Dani and Grace that because of the nature of the surgery, they were going to have to keep Grace off her feet, and off her Augment cocktail for several days after the surgery. Her liver couldn’t afford the added strain of processing the strong Augment drug cocktails as well as the cellular debris and the waste the nanites would deliver it so soon after almost failing completely. Essentially, she would be on strict bed-rest and fluids for several days, healing at a rate that was as close to human as was humanly possible. She would remain in dialysis every second day to assist in her body’s waste management as the nanites undoubtedly cleaned up dead cells and carried away extra fluid.

She wouldn’t be placed in the Augment Chamber because it couldn’t give Dr Yeo a clear idea of the waste production or nanite population in Grace’s body. Both of which had contributed to her current state. Dr Yeo also wanted Grace on dialysis until the infection had fully cleared and she wanted to run images on Grace’s wound tract daily to ensure the inflammation was receding naturally, none of which could be done if she was submerged in the AC

Later that morning Grace was laid flat on the cold operating table, her arms outstretched. One containing the input and output lines for the dialysis machine, the other a cannula for fluids and the bolus nanite plasma which Dr Yeo would deliver her body afterwards. Dani was at her side, holding her hand as the anaesthesia was injected into her arm, and she drifted off.

She woke to the sounds of gentle beeping and of Dani’s quiet voice. She couldn’t breathe but Dani was right by her side, calming her.

“It’s okay Grace. Take small breaths. They operated quite close to your diaphragm again and it might take a while for it to respond to your directions” Grace gasped and tried to take shallow breaths. The rock in her chest shifted and she could slowly fill her lungs again.

“That’s it” Dani crooned. Stroking Grace’s sweaty brow.

“Did they get it?” She asked with a croaky voice.

Dani held up a small vial with a triumphant grin.

“That’s gross” Grace replied, but took the vial nonetheless. “What is it?”

“Dr Yeo thinks it must have been a part of your Kevlar tactical jacket, which is why it was so difficult for the nanites to break it down. She thinks the spear pushed a small piece along the wound tract with it, and when it reached out toward your heart, it took the piece of fabric with it. When we killed it, and extracted the spear, Dr Yeo cleaned out the main wound tract, but couldn’t get to the smaller ones without further surgery, so she left those to the nanites. But, unfortunately, because of the amount of blood you lost, the nanites circulating in your bloodstream were only at 75% of what they should have been, so as much as they tried to break it down and fight off the infected tissue, they kept getting directed to other areas of your body, so your body formed an abscess to keep the infection mostly contained, but it’s been months Grace. So when you caught the flu, your immune system couldn’t handle the additional demands, the abscess started to leak, and you went into sepsis.

Grace stared at Dani in a daze. She’d literally just woken up from major surgery and was glad to simply be alive “Dani” Dani paused and looked at her “In a couple days, I’m going to ask you to repeat all of that okay?” She heard a deep laugh come from her other side and saw Hadrell sitting on the seat by her bed opposite Dani.

“Major” she smiled.

He nodded. “I’m fully awake Captain, and I only understood half of what the Commander said” He chuckled.

“The Major is also here to deliver orders” Dani spoke pointedly. Grace furrowed her brows and looked between them.

Hadrell cleared his throat uncomfortably and spoke. “Right” he rubbed his hands together. “So, the doc says you’re to be on bedrest for at least another seven days, which means that I’ve temporarily appointed Torez as Captain of your squad which will join mine over the next week for all recon missions”

Grace stared at the ceiling and shut her mouth. She already knew the bedrest was coming, and she assumed somebody would take over her squad, Torez was a good choice. But knowing it and hearing it were two different things. She tried to bring up her RD to assess her body’s progress hoping beyond hope that she could shorten her recovery time somehow by redirecting her power or blood supply someway.

“uuuhhhhh” Hadrell said “I asked the Augment team to disable your RD temporarily”

“You what!?”

“Grace” Dani warned.

“Face it Captain. If you’re anything like me, you’d find a shortcut out of bed and back into the field” He said with a knowing smile, and Grace sighed heavily knowing it to be true.

“Take the rest Captain” he said lightly and stood to leave “God knows you’ve earned it” He placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded at her before taking his leave.

Dr Yeo entered not long after, with Specialist Romano in tow. “Doctor, Specialist” Grace acknowledged.

“Captain” They both answered back in unison.

“Commander” The Specialist added after a quick pause.

Dani nodded at them both and smiled lightly.

“Okay, so it looks like we did a better job of clearing this wound than we did the first time around. We excised quite a bit of necrotic tissue and found a piece of Kevlar imbedded in the wound tract near your spine, the one that eventually veered off towards your heart” She looked at the Specialist and raised an eyebrow.

Specialist Romano cleared the throat “Right. So Captain, you’re going to need to be on a seven-day course of strong antibiotics to make sure the infection doesn’t come back. We’ve inserted drains into the entry and exit wounds which will need to be cleaned and dressed daily for the next couple of days, and you’ll need to receive another bolus of nanite plasma in the next week”

Grace smiled lightly “I hope you’ve given that schedule to the Commander here because there’s no way I’m remembering all that” she quipped.

Specialist Romano snapped on a pair of gloves and asked Grace if it would be okay for her to clean and examine the wounds. Grace nodded easily and raised her gown. Dani was slightly surprised when the Specialist’s face remained completely professional and slightly curious

“Firm but not ridged which means unlikely internal bleeding. Warm, warmer than normal human temperature, but not too warm which means unlikely infection” the Specialist rattled off.

Dr Yeo smiled and nodded.

Specialist Romano assisted Grace to roll onto her side and she checked the exit would, declaring the same.

Dr Yeo addressed Dani “Grace may find it more comfortable to lay on her side while the wound heals” Grace looked confused “We’ll take her off dialysis today and remove the catheter, which means you or somebody will need to be there to assist her for the first day or two, monitor her fluid input and output” Grace looked between the two. “And I’ll ask Specialist Romano or another med-tech to visit every day to check vitals and take bloods. You’ll also need to bring her in every second day for a dialysis treatment, three should be sufficient”

“Ummm Dani?” Grace asked.

Dani smiled at Dr Yeo who returned it brightly.

“I convinced Dr Yeo that you’d be more compliant and heal quicker if you could come back home with me”

“Really?” Grace asked wide eyed

“Only if you behave Captain” Dr Yeo said over her shoulder as she and the young medic left the room.

Grace looked at Dani and opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words.

“I just wanted you nearby mi amor” she stroked Grace’s cheek. “And these hospital beds are killing my back” she smiled.

“Perks of being the Commander?” Grace asked.

“I don’t use them often Grace. But when it’s important to me I will”

Over the next few hours Grace was disconnected form large machines and hooked up to smaller, portable ones, her catheter was removed, and she was helped into a simple white tank top and loose sweat pants.

Private Romano pointed to the small monitor “Ideally we want to see her oxygen above 90%, her pulse somewhere between 50-90 but being an augment, it can go up as high as 140 and we wouldn’t be too concerned. Her temp should not go above 101. And her BP will fluctuate but will generally be around 140/95, slightly higher than normal but that’s because of the extra machinery her body needs to operate and because she’s carrying around 750cc more plasma that the average human” Specialist Romano ran through all the readings on the monitors with both Grace and Dani. Grace, having been a medic herself found the Specialist’s explanations thorough, accurate, and concise. She was a good medic.

“We’ve kept a drain in both the entry and exit sites so the wound can naturally dispose of any waste more quickly, so you’ll find it easier if the Captain either sleeps reclined or lays on her side. I’ll come extract the drains in a day or two”

She tapped the bags of fluid above Grace’s head. You don’t need to worry about these at all. One is simple saline which we will discontinue as soon as this bag empties. He BP is stable, her catheter is out, and she has good bladder function, so we won’t need this once it’s finished as long as the Captain continues to take adequate fluids by mouth. But tomorrow or the day after, I’ll come down with a plasma nanite infusion and I’ll hook that up. It’ll take about a half hour to run and then the Captain can be canula free”

Grace nodded. “Oral antibiotics then?”

“Yes” The medic smiled at the Captain. “Twice a day for seven days, it’s important you don’t miss a dose”

She paused and looked at Grace pointedly “Also, because Dr Yeo has restricted your Augment meds and your RD is switched off, you’re going to feel more lethargic than normal, your body will feel heavier, and you’ll need to rest it more than usual. You won’t be able to ignore fatigue or redirect energy like you’re used to”

Grace huffed, knowing that this move was a strategic one on Dr Yeo’s behalf. Preventing her from dosing up or modifying her energy output so she could function quicker.

Dani and the medic smiled.

“Ready?” Dani asked and Grace nodded.

The medic brought a wheelchair into the room and Grace immediately shook her head “Absolutely not!”

“Grace” Dani chided.

“Captain, your body has been through a major trauma, it’s not as strong as what you think it is” she said earnestly.

Grace stood up and took a defiant step, quickly deciding that the Specialist was right and sat down in the chair.

Dani wrapped her up in a blanket, attached the drip and the vital monitor to the back of the wheelchair, and happily took the handles from the specialist.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Captain” the young medic called out as the two left the medical suite.

Grace lifted her hand in response and waved at the younger woman.

****

“Dani! Stop fussing!” Grace groaned at the smaller woman who was trying to arrange the pillows in a way to support her lover’s long body. “Just come here!”

Dani gruffed but climbed into bed with her lover. Laying flat on her back and still as a board, afraid to touch Grace or any of the tubes still attached to her.

“Come here” Grace asked again and held out her arm “You aren’t going to hurt me”

Dani slowly scooched over and as soon and Grace’s arm circled her, she immediately relaxed.

“mmmm” Grace hummed

“Hmmm?” Dani asked

“It feels so good to be in bed with you again” Grace whispered tiredly.

Oatmeal jumped up on the bed and curled up by Dani’s side.

Grace smiled and let her body drift off to sleep.

Dani spent a few minutes assessing her lover, her deep even breaths, her warm but not too warm skin, the strong pulse she could feel in the arm wrapped over her. Reassured that Grace was okay, she too drifted off.

****

The first two days in Dani’s quarters were spent in quiet bliss by the two women.

The Specialists had come as she said she would and removed the drains from Grace’s healing incision sites which gave both Grace and Dani a sense of relief and freedom.

Grace’s body seemed to lap up all the sleep it could get, and Dani was happy to oblige. She ensured soups and soft food were brought down regularly, and when Grace was awake, they would pass the time talking, or reading, watching old movies, or playing chess.

Dani knew Grace was healing well on the third day when she began having to dodge the Captains romantic advances.

“Not yet!” Dani scolded jokingly.

“But Daniii it’s been so long” Grace pouted. “Can we just kiss”

And Dani fell for the ruse every time. What began as soft gentle and tender kisses, would inevitably lead to the two women tangled in the sheets, breathing heavily. Dani laughing as she pushed her eager lover away.

Dani had ducked out of the quarters to attend to a quick briefing on the progress of the TD chamber location, and Specialist Romano arrived to check on the healing incision sites, take some bloods and to run a quick IV which contained the nanite plasma solution. Grace watched the young medic go about her duties, impressed with her skill.

“How long have you been a medic, Specialist?” She asked.

“Hmmm, 18 months Ma’am” she replied.

“And you like it?”

“I do ma’am!” she looked at Grace with a large grin.

Grace leant back and let the nanite infusion run, and as it did, they talked. It turned out that they were both from the Seattle settlement. Grace having arrived there as teenage refugee, Private Romano having been born there less than a year after Judgement day.

“Do they still light up the needle at Christmas” Grace asked eagerly,

“They do” Private Romano nodded happily.

“And does Captain Louise Parker still run the cadets?”

“With an iron fist ma’am”

Grace turned to Specialist Romano “Grace”

The young medic frowned

“Just call me Grace while we’re here”

The medic nodded with a smile.

“What’s your name Specialist?” Grace asked.

“Stephanie ma’am, I mean Grace” she grinned again.

“Well Stephanie, how much longer do you think Dr Yeo is going to impose the no RD rule on me?”

“Wouldn’t know Grace. But considering how you Augments are, I’m assuming it’ll be at least a full five days if not a bit longer”

Grace laughed and pressed her incision site in discomfort. “You Augments, hey?”

Stephanie blushed and disconnected the IV from the cannula.

“The boost of nanites in your system should help you feel better pretty quickly Grace. But without your RD, you can’t push yourself” she paused. “I’ll make you a deal” Grace looked up at her in amusement. “If you can take it easy for the next five days, I’ll get Bruce to make a Seattle seafood tasting plate for you” Grace’s eyebrows rose in interest “Fresh perch, oysters, crispy chips, clam chowder …….” Before Stephanie could finish Grace had taken the young soldiers’ hand and shook it vigorously.

“Deal!”

They both laughed as Grace’s stomach grumbled.

Dani arrived not long after Stephanie had finished her work, and the three women sat down to share the ample tray of food Dani had brought back with her. Grace restricted to the jello, pudding, porridge and juice, while the other women feasted on chicken sandwiches, hot chips, and apple crumble.

“Just a few more days my love” Dani smiled at Grace and squeezed her arm. Knowing just how much Grace wanted to eat everything on the table. Grace sighed and poured the remainder of the bowl of porridge down her throat.

Stephanie smiled gently. The love between the two women was obvious. She recalled the first time she’d walked into the hospital room and seen the legendary Commander, and the almost as legendary Captain. She was awe struck, but also embarrassed to be in such close quarters with two women who shared an almost palpable bond. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t fallen head over heels for the tall Captain immediately. But a crush was all it was, and all it would ever be. She could see the depth of their affection for each other, and it warmed her heart.

She enveloped some of that warmth and excused herself. Packing up her med kit and leaving the two women behind in their quarters.

She sighed on the ride up the elevator. In a world filled with such violence, it really was heart warming to know that love like that could survive.

***

Dani had taken four days leave to care for Grace and was almost glad to be going back to work by the fourth. Grace’s energy had improved dramatically since the nanite infusion on day three, but Dr Yeo had given strict orders that Grace was to do noting strenuous for at least another 4, possibly 5 days. Dani groaned at the seemingly impossible task ahead of her.

An almost healed Grace was a terrible patient and if not for the daily pain medication and sedatives Dr Yeo prescribed, Dani was sure Grace would have tried making her way to the training grounds or the gym by now.

“You are not to leave this room” Dani spoke seriously as she packed her notes for the day “Am I understood?”

Grace blew out a breath but nodded silently.

“That wasn’t an answer soldier”

“Yes” Grace looked directly at Dani with fire in her eyes.

Her body was finally free of the drip and the drains, and she was starting to feel it gain some strength again. Granted, without access to her microprocessor it was difficult to coordinate her body, and impossible to read it, and she still ran out of energy quickly, but nonetheless, she was feeling almost able to return to work. Dr Yeo however had different ideas and ordered another full four days of bed-rest.

“Dani, I’m going stir crazy down here! Can’t you just ask Dr Yeo if I can have one day in the Augment chamber! One day and I’ll be back to new” She pleaded.

“Grace, that’s how we ended up in this mess the first time. Your augments and the nanites made you feel 100% but you weren’t, and it almost cost you your life!” She stroked her lovers’ cheek. “The whole point of this is so that your body heals as naturally as possible before you start putting the demands of an Augment on it” Dani sobered and looked her lover seriously in the eyes “this is how Augments die Grace, they push because they can, beyond what they should, beyond what is safe, simply because they can, and it eventually kills them” she said sadly.

Grace blew out another frustrated breath “Dani, I need to get out of this room!” she said in a somewhat defeated tone.

“Well then I’ll ask Hadrell to take you to the gardens or to the library” Dani smirked.

“Please, just some natural light and a little human interaction?” Grace asked seriously

Dani stopped and took a measured breath. She knew it must be hard on her to be cooped up, and to be honest, some natural light and another person to talk to would be a good idea.

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do. But only for a few hours every day, and only after your mid-morning meds and nap okay?”

Grace nodded eagerly and quickly leant over to kiss her. The kiss somehow ended up with Grace on top of Dani in the bed before Dani got her senses back and wiggled out from under her frustrated lover.

“Can’t blame me for trying” Grace mumbled face down on the mattress.

“I’ll see you at 11 mi amor” Dani said with a smile in her voice and quickly ascended in the elevator.

Truth be told, Dani had already been organising with Torez, Hadrell, and Specialist Romano to take turns with the frustrated soldier and help get her outside for a few hours each day. Each had eagerly agreed, and between the four of them they were determined to assist Grace to wait out Dr Yeo’s imposed rest period.

Grace sat back up in the bed just as the alarm on her watch went off. She took her morning meds and lay back down, closing her eyes thinking about everything she was going to do outside that day. She woke several hours later to Dani’s soft touch and admitted that perhaps just getting some fresh air to start with would be a good idea.

Much to Grace’s chagrin, Dani insisted on the wheelchair for the first day. She took Grace up to the rooftop of the base, somewhere not many people had access to, and Grace inhaled the semi-fresh air. She could smell jet fuel and wood fire, and it was one of the best things she’d smelled in days. She looked out over the base and watched people go about their daily business.

“It’s amazing isn’t it” Dani took a seat next to Grace and looked out over the bustling mini underground city.

“You did all this Dani” Grace said and took Dani’s hand in hers. “None of this would be possible without you”

Dani clucked her tongue and Grace just smiled. Dani never liked taking credit for the Resistance or it’s achievements.

They shared a private lunch prepared by Bruce up on the roof, but this time Dani had ensured that they both at the same nutritious soft foods so that Grace didn’t have to battle with food envy. Bruce had generously prepared stewed apples with cinnamon, rice pudding with vanilla bean, pumpkin soup with nutmeg and a dash of cream, and apple juice. By the time Grace was back in their room, she lay back on the bed and was asleep in minutes.

***

The next day Torez came and took Grace, again in the wheelchair, but this time to the sim room. Grace felt her excitement grow; this is where the new recruits operated in a 3D environment to take down whatever enemy the trainer had placed in-front of them.

Today Torez had chosen a special sim, one based around the Rev-9 family which Grace’s team had encountered in the Warehouse. 

The simulation began exactly the same, identifying refugees, landing to extract them, and then it played out however they allowed it to.

Grace grasped the arms of her wheelchair and breathed heavily, every inch of her body wanting to respond to the virtual attack on the screens above them.

Torez placed a hand on her shoulder and reminded her that it was just a sim.

Grace watched her team work through the sim four times before they managed to neutralise all Rev-9’s. The first time, they all received fatal wounds. The second time half of them did, the other half made it to the chopper but so did the male rev. Same thing happened the third time. But the fourth, they managed to kill all three Rev’s with zero fatalities and no loss of Resistance intel to Legion.

Torez sad down next to Grace and placed a friendly hand on her forearm. “I know that in some way, you and Hadrell blame yourselves for what happened that day, but I wanted to show you that what you did was not only astonishing, but genuinely nothing short of heroic” she gently turned the wheelchair to face the door from which the tired recruits exited. “I wanted you to see that had it not been for you and Hadrell’s leadership, we’d probably all be dead, and I don’t just mean our team, I mean, everyone. The Resistance” Torez stood up just as the recruits came within earshot, and Grace had to clear her throat of the lump that had formed in it.

Grace’s unit saw their Captain, and all stood at immediate attention, she asked them to be at ease and they all excitedly asked her how she was feeling, when she’d be back, how the operation went. Grace answered what she could when she could.

They all went to the mess where Torez had put aside a table just for them. They sat in content silence as they ate.

“Fuck!” Kahn exclaimed all of a sudden.

The rest of the members of the team jumped and looking up at him in surprise.

Kahn looked directly at Grace. “It was you wasn’t it?” he asked in awe. The other recruits becoming more confused. Torez cracked a smile and Grace blew out a breath.

“What’s he talking about Captain?” Gomez asked.

Kahn looked at his teammates. “The sim was called ‘Harper’s Call’ Captain Harper was there!”

Torez leant forward almost conspiratorially “Not only was she there, she saved our entire fucking unit, and the Resistance” She grinned around her food as the four recruits looked between Torez and Harper for a moment before all four exploded in questions.

By the end of lunch Grace was so exhausted that she fell asleep on the way to the Commanders quarters and Torez needed to help her to get into bed.

“Thanks for today Alicia” she smirked.

“No problems Grace, any time” Torez laughed back. She quickly bent down and placed a kiss on Grace’s forehead and left the floor.

Grace didn’t awake until late in the evening when Dani arrived with a tray of food.

“So, there are rumours flying around the recruits about some warehouse training sim called Harpers Call?” she quirked a brow and grinned.

Grace groaned “You need to ask Evelyn to change the name of that damn sim Dani”

Dani laughed and opened the lids from the food tray. Grace gasped in pleasure! Solid food! Dani laughed again and encouraged her sleepy partner to eat, which Grace happily did. 

Her colour had improved, and despite the late afternoon fatigue, she was gaining energy every day and the dark circles under her eyes were receding. Dr Yeo had confirmed that her stats were all looking good so far and she was on track for her RD to be switched back on in two days.

Dani was happy for her lover, but worried that it meant Grace would soon be out there putting herself in harms way again. She took a cleansing breath and reminded herself that today was a good day.

She kept that thought as she snuggled into bed a few hours later next to her already sleeping partner.

***

At 11 am the next day Hadrell let himself down and held out his hand to Grace.

“No chair?” She queried hopefully.

“No chair" He said with a grin but handed her a walking stick.

She looked sardonically at him but took the stick in one hand and grasped his arm with her other and together they walked the grounds slowly until they made it to a waiting jeep.

“uhhhh” Grace questioned “I think the Commander will have your balls if you take me off base Major” she said slowly.

“Don’t worry love” he reassured her “we aren’t leaving the base”

She climbed in and smiled as the Jeep slowly took off. Just the movement and the breeze through her hair made her feel a thousand times better. The smell of jet fuel, of wood fire, of life on the base, flew past them as Hadrell took a service road outdoors to the outskirts of the base.

Grace had never been here before, but as soon as the jeep stopped, she gasped in awe.

“Is it what I think it is?” She asked wide eyed.

“If you’re thinking that it’s the Grand Canyon, then yes” he said with a smirk.

He came around and helped Grace from the vehicle. The ride had tired her somewhat and she was initially unsteady on her feet.

“How have I not known it was here?”

“Grace, at least two of the tunnels have emergency exits into the canyon, and the Commanders quarters are probably not far from where we’re standing. Just a long way down” he smiled and looked at his feet. ”I have no idea how you haven’t know we were here” He laughed 

Grace stepped away from the Jeep and marvelled at the view in front of her.

‘Grand’ didn’t even come close to describing it. She had no word for the scale of what she was seeing. She stepped closer to the edge with Hadrell standing nervously close by her side and watched the river flow rapidly below. From their vantage point it looked like a small silver snake and she wished she could use her RD to get a better look.

As if reading her thoughts, Hadrell pulled out a pair of binoculars and handed them to her.

He led her to a rock that jutted out from the ledge, and together they sat down and took in the view. Grace using the binoculars to take in as much as she could.

Mother nature had reclaimed the land and she marvelled at the amount of wildlife she could see co-existing. She could see bison, deer, and elk grazing in the fields on the other side of the canyon, she saw birds of prey swooping to the canyon walls, coming back with various small mammals and snakes. She gasped as she caught sight of a mountain lion making its way up the canyon with a kill in its jaws. It disappeared into a shadow which must have been the opening of its’ den.

Grace could feel tears pool in her eyes and quickly wiped them away. Embarrassed to be emotional with her superior.

Hadrell wrapped a big arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close.

“I wanted you to see what it was we used to have, and what it is we’re fighting to keep, beyond our humanity I mean” she looked down at Grace and spoke earnestly. “To be honest, we probably deserved what Legion did on Judgement day. We well and truly fucked up our planet, we took it for granted, we were killing it, and we were killing each other. But now, look. Mother nature is healing itself” He paused and quietened “Humans can be parasites Grace, but we can be so much more. We can learn from our mistakes, we can respect and nurture what the planet provides us”

He waved his arm across the vista before them

“This is what the Resistance is fighting for. To have the opportunity at a second chance at all this?” he paused. “And I believe that under the Commander, we will do it, we will take back our world and we will start again. But differently. It’s the Commanders vision”

Grace bowed her head and let her tears fall again. She heard the Major clear his throat and sniffle loudly which made her laugh

“If you tell a single soul” he said gruffly, swiping at his cheeks where a few tears had fallen. Grace held up her hands and shook her head in mock innocence. A wide smile on her face.

Hadrell huffed pulled out a couple sandwiches and a canteen of water from his pack, and they ate in silence.

“Thank you Major” she said sincerely “Thank you for bringing me here”

He nodded silently and stood up. Helping Grace get to her feet and slowly guided them back to the Jeep.

He’d overstayed his three-hour limit and only hoped that the Commander wouldn’t get on his case for it. Grace needed this little trip. He could see it, despite her fatigue, in the brightness of her eyes and the colour of her cheeks. 

The Commander must have agreed with Hadrell’s assessment because she was there in her quarters to greet them when they arrived back and made no mention of their late return. She took one look at Grace and smiled appreciatively at the Major. He nodded “later then, yeah” and left.

Grace sat her weary body on the edge of the bed and as Dani undid her boots and slowly stripped her of her clothing, Grace excitedly retold her of everything she’d seen, of how incredible it had been and how she had immediately connected with what the Commanders vision for the future was. When she’d finished, she looked at Dani and pulled her close, somewhat surprised that her lover had managed to remove her outer layer of clothing without her consciously noticing. She kissed her deeply, fuelled by the beauty and the possibility of what she’d seen that day, her kiss became more passionate, more demanding, and Dani, knowing there was only one day left, threw caution to the wind and stripped off her own boots and fatigues and let Grace pull her to the bed.

They lay entangled, kissing and feeling each other’s bodies, reacquainting themselves with each other after what seemed like weeks apart. Grace pulled Dani in as close to her as she could and moaned appreciatively at the full body contact. She slipped her hand between them and to her surprise, Dani not only didn’t stop her, she spread her legs slightly, giving Grace more access.

Dani lay on top of Grace and let her head fall to the tall woman’s’ chest as Grace’s long fingers found her wet centre. “Grace” she breathed.

She braced herself slightly and reached between them, sighing as she felt Grace’s own wetness.

Grace lay back in the bed and held Dani close. They made love slowly and tenderly. Both women marvelling at how new the other could feel after a week apart. Grace tilted her head back as Dani found her clit and circled it slowly. Grace did the same to Dani and felt her head rest heavily against her chest.

Grace stroked Dani’s cheek and almost immediately she raised her head and captured her lover’s lips in a slow passionate kiss.

Dani felt Grace’s abdomen tighten underneath her, and Grace felt Dani’s legs begin to tremble on either side of her hips.

They kissed, and panted, and kissed again, neither wanting to break contact for very long.

As their orgasms neared both women locked eyes and breathed heavily. Neither said a word. They moved together until they both shuddered quietly through their orgasms.

They kissed again, deeper and deeper until Grace felt like she was going to pass out. She flipped Dani underneath her and caught her breath, planting small kisses along her neck and collarbone.

“I’ve missed you, mi amour” Dani breathed.

Grace moaned her agreement “I’ve missed you too Dani” she kissed her partner deeply again and, getting lightheaded again, finally pulled away, letting her body come to rest on its side so she could hold her lover.

Dani knew Grace had exhausted herself, so she curled back into Grace, and lay there warm and content. Revelling in the afterglow of their love making. She felt Grace become heavy with sleep before realising it was almost chow time in the mess. She quietly extracted herself and made a quick call to the kitchen and a half hour later buzzed down a cook who carried a tray full of tonight’s offerings. She thanked him and sent the elevator back up.

She gently woke a very groggy Grace, and together they ate their meal on the bed. Content with each other’s company, neither feeling the need to fill the silence with talk.

After they’d finished, Dani pulled Grace into the shower where they quickly performed their routine of washing each other down. From there, Dani led Grace back to the bed. Barely a word had passed between them the whole time.

Grace got in first and readied herself to scoop her smaller lover close, but when Dani got under the covers, she gently pushed Grace’s hips so that the taller woman turned over onto her other side, and Dani scooted closer and wrapped her up from behind.

Grace was broad shouldered and much longer than Dani, yet their bodies still fit together. Dani draped her arm over the dip in Grace’s waist and let her fingers trace small patterns against her lovers’ firm stomach. Grace sighed contentedly and gently pushed herself snugly back against Dani’s body.

Dani kissed the back of Grace’s neck, where it met her shoulders, and breathed in her scent.

“I like this” Grace said groggily and nuzzled in even more before falling into a deep sleep.

Dani smiled. “Sweet dreams mi amor”

During the night, their bodies unconsciously shifted back into their more familiar position of Grace’s longer body spooning Dani’s smaller one. Dani awoke in the early hours of the morning slightly confused but content and snuggled further back into her lovers’ warm body for a few more hours of sleep.

***

It was 11 am on Grace’s last day of ‘confinement’ as she’d called it. She was so excited that she’d missed her normal mid-morning nap and waited at the top of the elevator for Stephanie to arrive.

The young medic grinned at the Captains obvious enthusiasm.

“Morning Captain”

“Specialist” she nodded.

And together they left the Tunnel. Grace still used her walking stick but could feel her body’s ability to carry her weight had already improved since yesterday.

Grace half expecting the medic to take her to the medical unit for her final check-up with Dr Yeo, but Stephanie took a different route and ended up in the engineering bay. She thudded her hand against the open hood of a Humvee and a young mechanic quickly peered over the hood. He immediately smiled at the Medic but as soon as he saw Grace he stood at attention “Captain”

“At ease Private” She glanced at his name “…. Romano” she looked at Stephanie and she smiled “What have we got here?” she nodded to the vehicle, asking without really having any interest. This young man was obviously a part of the medics’ family, so she tried to listen and ask questions when appropriate.

Stephanie signalled their departure and Grace shook the mechanics hand and they left.

“That’s my older brother, David. He went into the engineering corps straight out of school. Until then he was with me and my younger brothers at the Seattle Settlement. He’s the only one on us kids who have any memory of Seattle before Judgement Day”

Grace nodded. Happy for the medic to share information with her but not entirely sure of the purpose.

They reached the mess, and without hesitation, Stephanie took them inside the kitchen.

Bruce greeted them both with a big smile. He looked at the medic and indicated over his shoulder.

Stephanie took them to the cool room where a man was stacking boxes of frozen food and taking inventory. When he saw Stephanie, he immediately stopped what he was doing and scooped the young woman up in his arms and hugged her close.

“What are you doing here tigerlilly?” he asked in surprise.

“I just wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine” she looked to Grace who immediately stepped forward.

“Sir” she shook his hand warmly.

“Dad, this is Captain Harper, Captain Harper, this is my father, Angelo”

Angelo quickly closed-up the cold room and led the women to a warmer part of the kitchen, the rec room for kitchen staff. The three of them sat down, Angelo still beaming at his daughter, also taking in the tall soldier with her.

“Pleasure to meet you Captain” he smiled broadly.

Grace couldn’t help but return his smile. He seemed to have one of those personalities which was perennially happy, and now Grace could see where Stephanie got her sunny disposition from.

Stephanie held her fathers’ hand “So dad was a ferry captain before Judgement Day” she said nostalgically. I’ve seen photos of the ferries and of course I’ve seen the bays. I wish I had been born when it was the city everyone talks about” Angelo smiled again.

“Nothing quite like the feeling of being the captain of a vessel” he said nostalgically, his thick Italian accent somehow making the nostalgia in his voice verge on romantic.

“After Judgement day, my parents found the Seattle settlement quite quickly. I was born not long after and we lived there for years” she paused and took a deep breath.

Grace felt a strange tension in the air and Angelo squeezed his daughters’ hand tightly. 

“Then, one day, my family and I were out farming the fields, which all families took turns at doing. But this day Legion found us. The HK’s killed most of the guards and the farmers who were out in the open. My older brother and my father were both shot and bleeding quite badly. I had no medical training, and my mother had taken my two younger brothers back to the underground bunker to try and bring back help”

Grace had a sudden moment of recognition and her stomach flipped.

“Then out of nowhere, this Resistance medic arrived. Not only did she save both the lives of my brother and father and maybe a half dozen others, but she took out the Rev-7’ that had landed nearby intent on killing what was left of the exposed Settlement farmers”

“Stephanie” Grace whispered. Her cheeks colouring and her hand starting to tremble. Stephanie looked directly at Grace and smiled warmly.

“She never gave us her name, and I didn’t get a look at her tag, but I’ve always remembered her eyes, blue like the sky, and kind" she smiled at Grace “And even though I was small, I had a sense of how tall she was, taller than my father even” Stephanie teared up “Back then, you seemed like this beautiful guardian angel sent down from the skies to protect us. You told me that everything was going to be okay, and I immediately knew it to be true” She reached out and grasped Grace’s hand tightly and took a breath.

“So once my father and brother healed, they both took positions here on the base, to be of more help to the resistance. My mother is still a teacher back there, and my little brothers have no idea what they what to do with their lives except become resistance soldiers somehow” She looked into Grace’s vivid blue eyes. Eyes which had somehow become even more blue as she fought back tears.

“I decided then and there, that I was going to become a medic, maybe even a doctor, so that I could one day save lives like that angel did for us out on that field.

Angelo let out a breath “Captain” he said in awe “That was you?!” He looked bewildered between his daughter and Grace.

“Si Papa, that was her” Stephanie smiled. “Wasn’t’ it” she squeezed Grace’s hand.

Grace cleared her throat and wiped her eyes. “I’d forgotten. There were so many battles, so many injuries, so many faces I had no names for” she said quietly.

“Angelo and David” Stephanie answered with a smile. “And I guess probably me too” She said with a small laugh.

Grace’s head was spinning a little as Angelo grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously “I can’t ever thank you Captain, but it is an honour to be of service here, and I know my son feels the same way. It’s truly an honour to meet you” He said gruffly.

Grace shook her head and grasped his hand even tighter “The honour is mine Mr Romano. Truly”

They sat in silence for a moment before Angelo jumped up and gruffly said something about frozen fish he had to attend to. Again, he shook Grace’s hand and kissed his daughter on the forehead and took off toward the cold room.

Stephanie glanced at Grace who still looked like she was trying to get her emotions under control.

She placed her hand over Grace’s larger one.

“For the longest time, I didn’t know who you were, but I wanted to be you” she smiled broadly “And then I met you and I couldn’t quite believe it” she sobered quickly “But you were so sick, and I suddenly realised that I might never get the chance to tell you thank you” she smiled sweetly. "I mean you literally died in front of me and my brain froze, but the Commander jumped onto the gurney and started CPR” she said wide eyed “It was a hell of a thing” she whispered. “But still, you almost died, right there, and I thought I was going to lose my chance to say thank you” she teared up.

Grace didn’t really know what to say so she leant forward and wrapped Stephanie up in a fierce hug “No. Thank you” she said in a gravely voice.

The two were interrupted by a stage quality clearing of the throat. They broke apart to find Bruce standing in the doorway carrying a picnic basket.

“As requested Specialist” he took a small bow and handed the basket over.

“Oh My God!” Grace gasped. “Is this?” She eyed the basket then Bruce, then Stephanie. The two of them laughed heartily when Grace’s stomach grumbled making her hunger known.

“Come on” Stephanie grabbed Grace’s hand and took her to the man-made dam just a few hundred metres from the mess.

“It’s not Elliott bay, but it is waterside” she smirked and opened up the basket, pulling out everything she had promised Grace all those days ago. Fish, chips, chowder, oysters.

“A deal’s a deal” she said brightly as she watched the Captain’s excitement grow.

Grace eyed everything hungrily and as soon as Stephanie had plated the food she dug in with gusto.

“Grace!” Stephanie laughed “Slow down! You’ve only been back on solids for a couple days!”

“don car” she said through a mouth full of food and moaned her delight at the flavours of her adolescence spent in the Seattle settlement.

Stephanie just shook her head and laughed. Letting the tall Captain eat to her hearts content, even if that meant she’d be a little uncomfortable later.

An hour later as the Medic took her into the medical unit, Grace grasped her stomach and moaned “It was still worth it”

Again, Stephanie could do nothing but laugh.

Dr Yeo met them in the exam room and went over all of Grace’s recent tests. She took more bloods and palpated the now almost healed surgical wounds. Shaking her head “You know that it would take a normal person around 8 weeks to heal from a surgery like this Captain”

The Captain didn’t seem to know how to respond so she didn’t.

“Even without being able to manipulate your augments via your microprocessor or use your RD to help you get around any weaknesses, even without your meds, and even without the second dose of bolus plasma nanites or the Augment chamber, it’s taken you a week to almost completely heal” She sounded almost exasperated.

Grace shrugged. She knew her body was being bolstered by the nanites in her body, by her stronger Legion enhanced body, and even though she couldn’t see or consciously control her microprocessor for the time being, she knew that its’ core function was to preserve her life which it had undoubtedly been doing in the background without her interference.

“What’s your say doc” Dani asked sternly as she walked through the exam room doors. All three women jumped at her voice but only Grace and Dani seemed to find it funny.

Dr Yeo snapped off her gloves and removed her glasses. “Against my better judgement as a medical doctor, I have no choice but to give Captain Harper medical clearance for return to duty, but light duty for the first week, no active off-base missions or training simulations” she looked at the Captain sternly. She sent a message to the Augment team to reactivate the Captains RD.

Dani knew it was coming but her stomach still sank a little. A week of light duties and then Grace would be out in the field again. Risking her life again.

“Fucking A!” Grace jumped off the table as her retinal display came back online and shook Dr Yeo’s hand.

Dani turned to exit and Grace followed quickly behind. Turning back to Stephanie and giving her a quick wink and a silent thank you before the doors closed behind her.

Stephanie felt full and happy in so many ways she didn’t even know how to process it. She practically trotted behind Dr Yeo for the rest of her shift, remembering the last few hours.

****

Grace’s week of light duties was almost finished, and Dani was agitated. She’s hoped that while Grace rested and recuperated that the research teams would have delivered some useful intel. That by some stroke of luck they might have been able to take out the TD device while Grace was safely on base. But it was not to be.

Dani sighed heavily and finished off her paperwork for the night then turned off her desk lamp. It was 11pm and she’d missed dinner, but she smiled and thought that perhaps she could sneak a couple leftover desserts if Bruce had any laying around. Grace always loved it when she brought unexpected treats home.

She made her way to the kitchen and ran into a cook as she opened the door, he bumped into her with is tray, and she felt a sharp pain in her side as the tray connected with her ribs

He dropped the tray and bent to pick up the fallen food.

“Dammit! I’m sorry Commander!” He said sincerely.

“It’s totally okay” she said with a smile, helping him pick up the food “I hope I didn’t cause too much damage” she said looking at the spilled food on the floor.

“All good ma’am” he said with a smile. “I’ll have it cleared up in no time”

“Just don’t tell Bruce it was my fault” she said with a smile.

The cook looked at her momentarily confused and the broke into a grin “Wouldn’t dare” he said.

She bid him a good night and quickly grabbed two chocolate puddings from the dessert tray before she left the mess.

The last few weeks had taken their toll on the Commander and she felt a heaviness pervade her body which she hadn’t felt in a long time. A bone deep tiredness which only a few days rest and the company of her lover could fix. She cleared her throat gently and smiled. Knowing Grace would likely already be in bed, warming Dani’s ‘side’ waiting for her to join her.

She nodded to the two guards at the elevator doors, and pushed the elevator button, quickly descending down to her quarters.

She coughed lightly again, and decided that she was going to take tomorrow off with Grace. It was going to be her last day before full duty and she really just needed some alone time and a decent sleep-in.

As predicted, Grace was fast asleep. Dani kept the lights off and quickly stripped off her fatigues and crawled under the covers, a wave of fatigue washed over her and she was suddenly too tired to wake her lover up to share the dessert she’d brought them. Grace sleepily moved back and made room for Dani, wrapping her up tightly in her sleepy state.

“Tough Day?” She said sleepily.

Dani coughed “Hmm-mmm” and nodded.

“Want to talk about it” Grace offered, still mostly asleep.

Dani kissed her hand and held it close to her chest. “Sleep love”

She felt Grace snuggle in closer, and she let the fatigue in her body pull her into sleep.

***

At some point during the night Grace woke, Oatmeal was pacing the bed restlessly and meowing loudly and Grace could sense something was amiss. Her augments had woken her, and she tried to take in the room around them. Scanning for an intruder or some other unseen danger.

She gently shook Dani’s shoulder and the woman felt cold to the touch.

Grace shot up in bed and let her RD do a quick vitals check.

‘Hypovolemic shock, oxygen saturation 30%, BP 60/40, Pulse 90BPM, RESP 30’

“Fuck!” Grace yelled and jumped out of the bed, flicking the lights on. The first thing she noticed was the amount of blood covering not only her own body but the sheets she had been on, but she couldn’t immediately see any blood on Dani.

She quickly rang the medical unit and asked for a trauma team to the Commanders quarters before returning to Dani and rolling her gently onto her back.

“Dani” she spoke through panic. Her face was ashen and her lips had turned blue. If it wasn’t for the information her RD was feeding her, she would have assumed Dani was dead.

She couldn’t see any cause for the blood, so the gently turned Dani over onto her stomach and gasped.

The woman’s white T-shirt almost completely saturated from her waist down. Grace lifted it and saw a small puncture wound which was oozing blood.

Grace ripped the sheets and pressed hard against the small puncture wound. Keeping track of her RD to see if there were any changes.

Within a minute the two-person trauma unit lead by Dr Yeo had been buzzed down into the commanders’ quarters.

The medic in her rattled off Dani’s stats straight from her RD. “Hypovolemic shock, BP 60/40, Oxygen 30% 90BPM, RESP 30, there is a puncture wound in her side, below her last rib, in line with her liver. Unresponsive, no breath sounds in the right lung, left sounds good, pulse is rapid and thready”

Dr Yeo nodded and with the medics help, got Dani onto a stretcher. She set up an IV and pushed a litre of fluid into the Commander right away.

She looked to the bed and saw the amount of blood both on the sheets and on Grace and pushed a second litre through the rapid infuser.

“How did this happen” Dr Yeo looked toward Grace as she squeezed the IV bag, pushing the fluid as fast as she could into the Commander.

Grace shook her head “I” she looked at the doctor, eyes wide and panicked “I don’t know! She came home last night, got into bed, and we fell asleep. I woke up maybe 10 minutes ago because my augments were sending me alarms. And that’s how I found her”

Dr Yeo nodded quickly “Grace, we need to get her to the trauma unit, but we also need you to come so we can take evidence”

Grace nodded mutely and started putting on a pair of pants.

She grasped Dani’s cool hand under the sheet and stayed at her side all the way to the medical unit. As they entered the trauma centre Dani’s heart stopped beating, Grace’s RD and the vials monitor signalled this at the same time.

“Dani!” Grace immediately dropped the rails of the gurney and started doing chest compressions on the smaller woman before the other two women could even begin. The Specialist stepped back and Dr Yeo began ventilations.

“Chest tube” Dr Yeo called out to the Specialist who immediately grabbed what she needed and raced back to the gurney.

The Specialist took over the manual ventilations and Dr Yeo immediately went to work.

“Come on Dani” Grace spoke to the unresponsive woman as she continued her compressions.

Dr Yeo cut Dani’s bloody T shirt off her, squirted liberal amounts of a betadine solution over the right side of her chest and placed a drape over Dani’s torso. She applied a quick anaesthetic, and then deftly cut into Dani’s side between her fourth and fifth ribs then inserted clamped tube into the plural space. Almost as soon as the chest tube was in place, Grace could hear the air trapped in the cavity gush out, allowing her right lung the chance to reinflate, and immediately taking pressure off her heart.

Within approximately 30 seconds Grace both saw and felt Dani’s heart rhythm pick up and she stopped compressions. And Private Romano swapped out the bag with an oxygen mask.

Grace stepped back and watched her RD. Dani was still hypovolemic but her oxygen saturation had come up almost immediately, and her respiratory rate had slowed. Her pulse was strong but still rapid due the extra effort it was exerting to circulate Dani’s diminished blood supply.

“We’ve gotta go” Dr Yeo said quickly and Grace nodded silently. The Specialist caught her eye and gave her a quick nod of solidarity before they wheeled the gurney through the OR doors.

Grace leant back heavily against the closest wall and held out her hands which were covered in Dani’s blood and shaking. She leant over and took a few deep breaths, trying to slow her own rapid hear beat. _‘she’s going to be fine. She has to be fine’_ Her vision blurred as her eyes suddenly filled with tears _‘she has to be fine’_ she repeated over and over to herself. She blinked the tears away and stood back up just as two MP’s walked into the trauma unit.

Grace sighed tiredly. Not having any fight in her and knowing that the MP’s needed to do their job. This was the Commander. And Grace had been the only person with her at the time.

They took her into a small holding room and she automatically striped her clothing and placed it into the plastic bag they handed her. She was given a hospital gown to change into. A med tech entered and quickly and quietly took blood, nail and hair samples.

Nobody actually believed that Grace would ever injure the Commander intentionally, but they had no explanation for Dani’s current condition, so they had to follow protocol.

Grace sat down heavily in the holding room and put her head in her hands, replaying her RD over and over, trying to see if there was something she’d missed. What she really wanted to do was be at Dani’s side, but that would require her getting past the MP’s at the door.

As an Augment she knew she could easily fight her way out of the holding room to get to Dani. But she knew that would just make matters worse. And she trusted Dr Yeo to keep her informed. And as though hearing her thoughts, Dr Yeo opened the door to the holding room and sat down next to Grace.

“She’s stable” Dr Yeo got the most important part out of the way.

Grace sighed in relief

“She has a puncture wound in her back, like you said, through her liver, and into the pleural cavity of her lungs”

“And you could stop the bleeding?” Grace asked.

Dr Yeo looked at the table.

“Doctor?” Grace Asked worriedly.

“I cauterised the wound and stopped the bleeding, but there’s a complication Grace. The wound was not only intentional, it was intended to kill slowly and quietly”

Grace felt her anger build.

“We found anticoagulant and sedatives in her blood”

“Fuck” Grace swore and stood up.

“Grace, the puncture wound was small, and it bled over a long period of time, three hours we think given the amount of blood she’s lost. It’s a miracle you woke when you did. She wouldn’t have been able to wake herself, and if you hadn’t got to her when you did she would have died in her sleep” Dr Yeo grasped her hand tightly and let it go before continuing,

“Her entire abdominal cavity had filled with blood and the pressure put on her plural cavity from the puncture caused her right lung to collapse. Had she been lying on her back or on her left side, she could very well have died in her sleep, she simply wouldn’t have been able to keep breathing given the sedatives in her blood stream on top of the collapsed lung”

Grace felt ill, and angry, and even more confused.

“But nobody was in the room with us doctor” Grace almost yelled and ruffled her hair “and she didn’t seem injured or affected when she came to bed last night”

“She may have received the injury before getting to her quarters, and she may not have even known she was injured Grace. The puncture wound is barely 2mm in diameter”

“And you think that the same puncture is what also delivered the anticoagulants and the sedatives?”

Dr Yeo nodded “I can’t find any other puncture wounds, so unless she took them orally, which is unlikely, I can only assume that the delivery device was also the weapon”

“So we need to find out where it happened?”

The doctor nodded. And suddenly Grace swung around, eyes wide.

“The Kitchen!”

Dr Yeo looked confused, but opened the door and asked the MP’s to come in.

“When Dani arrived home, I know she was carrying chocolate pudding, I could smell it” Grace smiled slightly “She said that’s she’d had a long day, so I assumed that she missed diner and had swung past the kitchen on her way home to bring back something sweet” Grace’s eyes teared at Dani’s kindness.

Dr Yeo looked at the MP’s who nodded back and left.

“Can I see her?”

“Soon” Dr Yeo replied, I’d like to get her blood pressure under control and make sure she’s not in danger”. And left the room.

 _‘Not in danger’_ Grace replayed the words. _‘From me!?’_ She thought incredulously, but after a few minutes she began to doubt herself.

What if somehow, she’d hurt Dani in her sleep? What if Legion had found a way to hijack her microprocessor? She was the only one covered in blood except for Dani …. What if … 

Grace’s morbid thoughts were broken when Evelyn walked into the room and immediately hugged her friend.

“Eve” she said wide eyed and confused “I …” she threw her hands up “I don’t know what happened”

“Merde!” Evelyn took a breath “So nobody has come to see you yet?”

Grace shook her head.

“Okay, so we found the body of one of the kitchen staff stuffed in the cold room. He had a wound consistent with a Rev spear. We think a 9 infiltrated the base and tried to take the Commander out quietly and unnoticed”

Grace felt immediately sick. Dani had been face to face with a Rev-9.

She immediately turned around and threw up into the trash can in the room. The pure terror she felt in that moment sent a cold sweat through her. “It could have killed her” Grace looked Evelyn dead in the eye “It would have taken a second, less, and she’d be dead” She put her head in her hands as her mind raced.

Evelyn placed a hand on the shaking Augments back. She too felt sick at the thought of Dani having come face to face with a Rev-9 and not having known it. She closed her eyes and thanked whatever god was up there protecting her.

Suddenly Grace shot up angrily, clenched fists and jaw “How the fuck does something like that even happen?” Evelyn shook her head she had no answers.

“For now, I’ve requested a larger K9 unit presence. All our entry points have IR and X-ray scanners ever since the warehouse incident, so we know it didn’t get in that way. I’ve instructed all sensitive or restricted areas to be DNA accessible in addition to the ID card readers. And Dani will now have a two-team, full time security detail in addition to wearing body armour at all times even when on base. It’s a small increase in security, and it’ll be done quickly, but it doesn’t take away the fact that a 9 made it onto our base and got close enough to take her out”

Grace felt the wind get knocked out of her and had to sit back down.

“They could have just ended her life, right there, in the kitchen” She felt ill just saying it. “Why didn’t they?”

Evelyn hesitated before continuing “Probably because all hell would have broken loose, and maybe because they know that a Martyr is sometimes a more powerful symbol than the person” Grace frowned “If Dani died in battle, protecting the Resistance, or during a face to face confrontation with a Rev, she would have become a Martyr, a symbol for the Resistance perhaps even stronger than the woman herself” Grace nodded “But if she died quietly in her sleep from unknown causes, she would have been mourned. Her loss would have crippled the Resistance, and we would never have recovered as quickly” she looked at Grace earnestly “Rage, loyalty and patriotism are much more powerful motivators than loss, grief and depression”

Grace couldn’t argue with Evelyn’s logic. Her stomach churned at the thought of it. If she hadn’t woken up, or worse, had been away on a mission … she felt the bile rise in her throat again and took a deep breath.

“Fucking bastards” she said through clenched teeth. “We need to find that TD chamber and we need to find it quickly” she said plainly.

Evelyn nodded her agreement.

“They need to be Augments” Grace said flatly

Evelyn frowned in confusion

Grace’s blue eyes burned into Evelyn’s “Dani’s guard detail. They need to be Augments. I want people who can see in IR and X-ray, soldiers who can physically stop a Rev if they have to” Grace said fists clenched.

“Oui” Evelyn nodded in agreement “Good point, I’ll speak to the Major about assigning a rotating squad of four”

Grace nodded “Can I see her?”

Evelyn stood and opened the door, allowing the tall soldier out of the room.

***

Grace took Dani’s smaller hand in hers and tried to transfer some of her warmth into her lovers’ cooler body. Despite what her RD was telling her, her eyes told her that her lover was still in pain, was still weak, and scared.

“Dani, I’m sorry” she shook her head and her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Shhh mi amor. If I didn’t even know, how could you have?” she said with a small smile.

“I should have” Grace said angrily. “I would have if I’d just opened my eyes or turned the lights on”

Dani placed a calming hand on Grace’s cheek and both women fell silent.

“Grace, it happened, and I survived. We know how it happened so we can try and prevent it. But Legion are desperate. They know we are close to finding their TD device, and they’ll do just about anything to stop us” Grace nodded gently.

“Grace” she smiled, trying to ease the tension rolling off her tall lover. “I am probably the most highly protected person on the planet, and I live with one of the most highly skilled soldiers in existence.” Grace smiled again. “I feel absolutely protected, and I refuse to let fear stop me from doing what needs to be done. Because, one day they might just get me, but there’ll be another Commander ready to step forward and finish the job”

Grace remained silent. Vehemently disagreeing with Dani’s assessment, but not willing to ruin her sentiment.

***

While Dani recovered in the hospital, under heavy guard for the next seven days, Grace busied herself making sure that any necessary fortifications were made to the base. She spoke with Major Hadrell about Dani’s protective duty, and he said that he’d already assigned Himself, Torez, Kahn, and Taylor.

Grace then tried to come up with a way to find the Legion TD device more efficiently. They’d been sending out recon units daily but aside from a few encounters with HK’s and Rev-7’s, nobody had come back with any usable intel.

She pushed the papers on her desk away and briefly thought _‘I could do a better job with a fucking plane and a camera’_ and an idea suddenly struck her.

Dani was discharged from hospital and Grace took some time to be with her, but Dani could see the tension rolling off her lover and insisted she keep pursuing whatever this new idea was. Grace kissed her and said that she’d explain it all as soon as she had a firm plan.

So, two days later, Grace she took Hadrell out an old hanger.

“What do you think Major” Grace said excitedly.

“It’s a fucking crop duster is what I think Captain” Hadrell said

“Exactly!” Grace beamed. Running her hands over the old metal body.

“No navigation, no GPS, no CPU, no surveillance capabilities, no weaponry” She rattled off.

Hadrell clicked. “So, you want to take this rust bucket up and be the GPS, the navigation, and the surveillance?”

“Legion know our aircraft, they know the drones, the helos, the fighter jets and the dragonflies” she smirked “But I bet they won’t know what to make of this, at least not before I have a chance to get some decent intel”

The sound of a throat being cleared behind them made them jump and stand to attention.

“Captain, Major” Dani said curtly

“Commander” they answered in unison.

“At ease”

Grace caught a look from Dani which meant that there’d be further discussions later.

“Commander” Grace began before either Hadrell or Dani could veto the suggestion. “Let me go up. Just for a couple hours every day. I’ll fly under the radar and I’ll use my RD to surveill the areas that are just too wide for us to cover on foot and too dangerous for our Resistance aircraft to survey by air.

Dani stood silently. It was a good plan. But she was loath to let Grace do it.

Hadrell cleared his throat “Commander, to be honest, at first I thought it was a joke, but the craft is small enough to avoid casual detection from Legion, it’s basically analogue. Legion would have no way to identify it, and if Grace keeps it low enough, they wouldn’t even see it on radar. We’ve tried with drones, but Legion can see them a mile away and keep taking them out, but an old rust bucket like this with zero modern electronics, something that isn’t weaponised, they might not even lock-onto”

Dani nodded “Briefing room with your proposal in one hour” She turned on her heels and strode away.

“Fuck” Grace whispered. She knew Dani was fuming. She hadn’t shared her idea with her lover initially because she wanted to confirm some details with the engineers and mechanics first. She then wanted Hadrell’s opinion, and THEN she was going to talk to Dani about it. She hadn’t expected to essentially be caught out like this.

“I’m glad I’m not you right now” Hadrell whispered.

Grace sighed and looked back at the small plane. “If it works, I don’t care how angry she is at me” she said honestly.

They busied themselves speaking to Evelyn and her engineering team, and to the aviation corps. It was hard work, but they had rough plans drawn up within the hour and were presenting them to the Commander who, to anyone else would have looked controlled and attentive, but to Grace she looked furious.

Because it was Grace’s idea, she presented the bulk of the information, which was essentially repeating what she and Hadrell had told her in the hanger.

Evelyn spoke up and added “We could find a way to equip the plane with a hardwire attachment to Grace’s RD unit and fit a small camera to the base of the plane, so that we not only capture What Grace’s RD unit picks up, but also what she might miss. The hardwire connection rather than wireless means that Legion will likely assume it’s redundant technology, and we will ensure the plane isn’t weaponised in any way, so Legion won’t detect any offensive capabilities.”

 _‘Except me’_ Grace thought smugly

“But they’ll still be able to see Grace” Dani interjected, and Grace’s smirk dropped.

“We can line the cockpit with a lead-polymer Commander. We can weld scaffolding to the cockpit to make it look self-supporting and unmanned, they wouldn’t be able to actually see the Captain unless she got within say 100m of a recon unit specifically looking at her”

Dani hated this. Hated it with every fibre of her being. But as Commander, she had to admit that it was a solid plan.

“How soon could you be ready to fly?” she asked the room

“Tomorrow” Grace answered quietly.

“okay then” Dani stood up. “Good work. Let’s get to it” and she left.

Evelyn and Hadrell both looked at Grace and Grace shrugged her shoulders. What could she do? She gave Dani about an hour before finding her in her office. She knocked lightly.

“Come” Said the stern voice.

Grace entered and saw the bottle of tequila on the desk, and the storm brewing behind the Commanders’ eyes.

“Dani, I’m sorry” Grace said immediately, and rounded the desk and crouched down. “I wanted to run this past you myself when I understood the idea a bit better. I didn’t want you to find out like this”

“You’re Spec Ops Captain. You can do what you want without my go ahead” she said curtly and took a swig from the bottle.

“Dani” she said softly. Taking the bottle from her hands. “Please” she implored her lover.

Dani looked into the clear blue of Grace’s eyes and saw nothing but honesty and love, and she let a tear fall.

“It’s 2042 Grace” she let a tear slip “The closer we get to finding that fucking TD chamber, the closer we get to finding out if we’ve changed fate, and I’m terrified Grace” She held Grace’s face between her hands. “Finding and destroying that chamber has been our priority for years, and now you come up with a seemingly simple way for us to do it, and I practically lose my mid over it”. She sighed, ashamed at her reaction earlier in the hanger and in the briefing room. “It’s a good idea Captain, a brilliant one really” she smiled “I just feel like this is all about to come to a head and it terrifies me”

“You don’t think it terrifies me too Dani?” Grace asked honestly. “This could the break we’ve been waiting for, and if it works, I don’t know what lies behind door number two” she smiled. “I believe you when you say that there is no fate but what we make for ourselves. And I believe we’ve made that for us” She placed a hand over Dani’s which was still on her cheek. “But I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t a small part of me worried that before we destroy the chamber, some Rev-9 is going to time jump back to Mexico to find you, and I know, without hesitation or reservation that I would follow it to save you” tears shone in her eyes, as they did in Dani’s

There was a long silence before Dani spoke “I used to hate the future me” She admitted quietly’

“What?” Grace asked confused.

“I hated her for sending her Grace back to protect me, for not loving her enough to keep her safe”

“Dani …” Grace shook her head

“But now I know, it probably wasn’t all her decision” Dani smiled sadly at her lover. “She, that Grace, would have fought to be the one to come back no matter what. Even if that meant that she would be giving up what they had” she bowed her head

“I can’t even imagine what they went through in the moments before Grace jumped back in time. The heartbreak of it” She couldn’t stop the tears. It was crushing her to think of any scenario that meant she would willingly watch Grace enter the TD device, losing her forever. 

Grace sat back on her heels. She hadn’t really thought of the complexities of Dani’s feeling over this. Of course, she would insist on jumping through time to save the younger version of her lover. And of course, tactically, she would have been the best candidate, having already fought several Rev-9’s and her inherent knowledge of Dani herself. So essentially, the Commander would have had no valid argument to stop her. But there were so many more layers to it, and the loss of a love on top of it all was almost incomprehensible.

But that was then, another timeline. There was nothing to suggest they hadn’t already changed fate.

She sighed and stood up, pulling her lover along with her. Embracing her tightly.

“Let’s just take this one day at a time okay. I promise that if we find the TD device, my priority will be to destroy it. I don’t care that Committee and the engineers want to preserve it or study it. I just want it gone because when it is, it means that this cloud that’s been hanging over your head for the last 22 years can finally be lifted.

***

***


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a story after-all so it's time to return to the plot.  
> The Resistance draws closer to finding and destroying the TD chamber, and Dani struggles to find a way to keep Grace safe.  
> Oh, and some PWP as well, because I promised plenty of that too.

Grace beamed as she approached the modified small single engine plane. ‘

Hadrell approached her and spoke jokingly “Are you sure you can fly this thing?” All Augments had undergone hours of both simulated and live training on a range of air, water and land vehicles, but nothing as old as this.

Grace looked at him, slightly offended “Of course” she widened her stride “My grandfather used to take me up in these all the time”

She instructed the tech team that they’d need to start the propeller manually, which they did, and the engine grumbled to life. Blowing carbon out from under the hood and rattling noisily.

Grace grinned widely. She gave Dani, Hadrell and Evelyn the traditional thumbs up and started the small aircraft down the runway. It was certainly heavier on the stick than anything she’d flown previously, and therefore more clunky to manage, but as it lifted off and the sense of weightlessness took over, the natural pilot in Grace settled easily back into her seat.

Flying low meant that she wouldn’t need to be carrying oxygen, she wore her spec ops helmet and had lowered the visor, a heavy winter jacket and a pair of leather gloves. It was late winter, but being Arizona, the temperature on the ground would generally remain comfortable, but once she was at speed and altitude, it would drop quickly. She breathed in the fresh crisp air and looked around her, it was a clear day, the sky was virtually cloudless, and it was such a glorious feeling to be flying free and fast with no limits.

 _‘okay Grace, remember the mission’_ She and Evelyn’s team had mapped out quadrants that Grace would traverse each day. Using her augmented RD to seek out heat signatures that didn’t belong and recording possible targets for the Spec Ops teams to raid or explore the following day and each day after that.

Grace knew that her plan would take her away from the base and away from Dani for days or weeks at a time until they could retrofit more planes and get a few more Augments in the cockpits. But her gut told her that _this_ would work. That they would unveil the third Legion stronghold and find the TD device via subterfuge with analogue technology.

The plan was to be quick and unseen, find the target without them finding her.

Nobody, especially Grace, expected it to happen on her first trip up.

They had estimated that the small craft could cover approximately 1000 kilometres or just over 600 miles in each trip. She could essentially fly well under any radar they knew of by keeping the plane around 120 metres or 400 feet and could drop as low as 3 meters or 10 feet if she really needed to. It was a crop duster, designed to fly slow and low if it needed to. 

She initially took the plane up to 1500 feet and played with the levers just to get a feel for how the plane responded and what its’ capabilities would be. After about ten minutes of practice, she descended back to 400 feet and headed toward the coordinates Evelyn’s team had mapped out for the day.

She took in the sight of the Grand Canyon below, and it still took her breath away. She knew it wasn’t the mission, but she took the plane lower into the canyon and marvel at its’ majesty. She still couldn’t come up with a word for just how small she felt when she was near it. She smiled brightly as she recalled the time she and Hadrell had spent there not so long ago.

Clearing her head, she pulled up on the stick and the plan shot up and out of the canyon.

For security sake, the team had decided to equip Grace with a short-wave radio which could either reach the base, or later, any of the scattered outposts, but the consensus was that they would maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary. So, knowing it was going to be a long silent day up in the air she let herself relax and try to enjoy the flight even if it was a part of a mission.

Today’s grid was basically a test run, a grid from the Canyon, north through the Monument National Park to Mesquite, south west to Las Vegas, and then back to the canyon over the Hoover Dam. She would fly low and, in a grid, taking as many IR readings as possible over the trip.

She would keep the plane cruising at approximately 200 kilometres per hour which meant that under normal circumstances she would have just enough fuel on board to cover the distance and make it back to base. But the engineers had stripped the plane of all unnecessary weight and added extra fuel storage, and a crop duster without its chemical weight was a lean machine to fly. So she predicted she’d even make it back with precious fuel to spare. And with that thought in mind she headed north.

Dani watched the plane as it became smaller in the distance until it was a small glistening spark of metal in the sunlight. Wishing her partner a safe journey and a quick return. Her heart thudding in her chest, as it had almost every day recently. Because of the forced radio silence, she would have no idea of Grace’s progress until she radioed in in an emergency, or until she returned. She hated it, she knew she was in for a distracted day, and many more to come should this trial prove a success.

As predicted the journey was pretty quiet and uneventful, and Grace revelled in the solitude, but she kept her head in the game, making sure to keep her eyes on the ground, taking as many thermal and X-ray readings as she could via the camera which had been fitted to plug into the small port near her temple.

Surprisingly, she flew over two or possibly three human settlements which definitely weren’t Resistance. She marked them on her map for the recon teams to go explore at a later date. Dani made it a policy to reach out to any independent settlement and offer food, medical aid or shelter if needed regardless of their affiliations. If they were human, and not hostile, the Resistance would offer assistance. Sometimes these outskirt settlements appreciated the interaction, sometimes they shunned it.

But Dani made sure to convey a sense of comradery and a helping hand, she never pushed more than was appropriate, and she never gave more than was needed. Grace had always marvelled at how Dani, while basically single handily commanding the entire Resistance Army, and saw over the committees that governed the entirety of the Resistance settlements across North America, still made it a priority to reach out to non-Resistance communities to ensure human ties were established and alliances formed wherever possible.

She turned south west and flew over what was once the old Las Vegas strip. She saw the burnt out remains of the old HK their team had taken out a while back and remembered how Dani had cared for her when she crashed. It had been a clever Legion ploy to infiltrate, and as close to the Base as Legion had got up until a couple weeks ago.

She saw individual IR readings on the ground but assumed they were mostly individual scavengers. Still, she made notes as required by Evelyn.

She turned the plane east and soon she saw the Hoover Dam approaching. She’d never seen it before, and to be honest, form the air, it didn’t seem overly impressive, but from the ground she was sure that was different.

As she passed over it, her RD picked up a faint heat signature, almost too faint to register, but as she looked at the structure of the dam it dawned on her that the dense concrete might be exactly the location Legion would use to hide any activity, because it would be exactly the structure she would use to mask any energy readings if she were in their position.

She turned the plane around and descended to 100 feet and took another pass. This time her RD definitely picked up heat signatures and her x-ray identified them as mechanical, non-human. Grace’s heart-rate increased.

She took another pass, this time at 30 feet. She took as many pictures as she could. She knew she was taking a risk making such a low pass, but it also allowed her to see the seemingly dormant HK’s and a nest of Rev-7’s hidden under camouflage netting which was basically rendered useless with her IR and x-ray vision. _‘good thing there’s an Augment in the cockpit’_ she thought to herself smugly.

Out of nowhere a shot rang out and hit one of her wings.

She looked back down and saw that one of the motion detector rifles on one of the HK’s had been activated. The HK itself remained unpowered and on the ground, but she didn’t know for how long.

 _‘fuck!’_ she cursed and pulled hard on the stick, taking the plane higher, trying to get as close to 2000 feet as she could, if she had to eject, the higher, the better.

This old plane may be exactly what allowed her to get close to Legion, but there’s no way she could outrun or out-manoeuvre a HK in it.

Another round passed through the engine and black smoke started to push out from under the hood. She was just under 1000 feet, but that was going to have to do.

Grace turned the plane and steered it as best she could towards the dam wall, setting a straight descending course toward the solid concrete. She pulled her connection to the camera quickly and pulled hard on the eject lever, she felt a round pass through her side and grimaced, her RD immediately telling her it was serous but not critical. The seat ejected up into the air, launching her away from the descending plane. She watched as the Legion HK continued to fire at the small plane, obviously not having noticed the smaller projectile exit the craft.

She deployed her shoot as late as possible, trying to get as much distance between herself and the slowly descending plan as she could.

She watched as the small plane smashed into the dam wall and burst into flames, hopefully leaving nothing for Legion to pick over.

Leaving the shoot for the last minute meant a very heavy landing but Grace’s Augmented body withstood the impact. She cut herself free from the lines and took immediate shelter. Listening for any incoming Legion weaponry. After several minutes of silence she relaxed and assessed the wound in her side _‘Dani’s gonna be pissed’_ she thought as she cleaned and bandaged it. It was essentially a flesh would. It had barely pierced her dermal protective layer, hadn’t hit anything vital, and her skin would soon start knitting together. Still, there would be no hiding it when she got back to base.

A smile broke out on her face “We found it!” she exclaimed happily. She radioed base and told them as quickly as possible what she had seen, and what the coordinates were. She was unable to upload any of the images to the base which had no capacity to be accessed externally so she uploaded the images to a small storage unit, and tucked it safely in her inner pocked.

If she were caught and killed by Legion and couldn’t physically deliver the intel, somebody would find it when they found her body. It was a bit morbid, but soldiers often kept letters and mementos on themselves from or for their loved ones should they die in combat.

“I have a backup of all images on a chip in my inner left pocket” she radioed to Evelyn. Leaving out her inner musings as to why she made the copy.

She gave herself a shot of meds, shucked her heavy jacket and gloves, grabbed her pack, and started to make her way to the closest outpost which was approximately 40 clicks away.

She passed the time replaying some of her RD footage, most of which she hadn’t actually seen with her naked eyes at the time, watching the spike in power on the east side of the large concrete dam. She had to give Legion credit. The dam was the perfect location. The amount of concrete able to cover almost any heat signatures, the dam providing both noise cancelling properties, and a way to generate enough hydro-electricity so as not to cause a noticeable spike or drain during routine observation. But Grace had been lucky. Her RD allowed her multiple viewing options, and she had happened to fly over just as Legion had powered up the device, a power surged even the hydroelectrics couldn’t hide from her IR. 

Grace didn’t think the power-surge she picked up couldn’t have been an actual TD event, it wasn’t large enough according to the information that was given to her by Evelyn’s team, hopefully the power spike was simply a test of some sort.

Grace made the 40 click hike to the outpost in a little over two hours, a base record if she had the inclination to record it, which she didn’t.

A gruff 50 something year old, grey haired, bearded tank of a man came out to meet her. He had a cigar in his mouth and a patch over one eye. He extended his hand “Captain Montaine” he said in a deep gravelly voice.

“Captain Harper” she gasped and doubled over. He handed her a canteen of water, which she took but she quickly dismissed the Captains offer of shelter for the night.

“I need to get back to the base ASAP Captain” she practically panted as she downed the canteen of water and injected another round of meds from her med-gun. The mild blood loss along with the fast paced hike had left her a bit weak. She had literally only been back on her feet for a few weeks since the enforced bedrest after her surgery, and her conditioning was definitely off.

Montaine had been a Captain in the resistance for approximately 5 years, and an Augment for around 3 and although Captain Harper was technically his subordinate by rank, her reputation brokered no argument as to who was actually in charge, and he was quick to accommodate her.

Grace still breathing heavily spoke quickly to Montaine “Captain, gather a crew of four of your best and come along with me. Tell the rest to pack what they can and follow at their own pace. I have a feeling that this outpost won’t be needed shortly” she grinned, and he felt a surge of excitement.

He nodded quickly and prepped a helo in which she and the 5 soldiers from the base boarded less than a half hour after she arrived.

The helo touched down at the base and Grace was met by Dani, Hadrell, Torez, Evelyn, Dr Yeo and Specialist Romano. She smiled. This small group of people had become her family of sorts and it felt good to see them all.

Montaine and his crew were taken by Torez to their new temporary quarters to get some rest and food.

Grace pulled out the chip from her pocket and immediately gave it to the tall French doctor who held her hand tightly in thanks before taking it. Nobody made mention of where she’d pulled it from but Hadrell and Dani exchanged a quick, knowing, glance.

“Let me look at you” Dani cupped Grace’s face between her hands and brought her close.

“I’m fine Dani” Grace smiled broadly, and Dani could see the truth of it. Her heart finally started beating at a somewhat normal rate and the vice that had been around her chest loosened a little.

Dani could see several new cuts and bruises on her lover’s body, and a burn in her fatigues which suggested a high-powered round had hit her. But she was healthy, and whole, and had an excitement in her eyes that was hard to miss.

Dr Yeo did a quick assessment and agreed with Grace but asked her to come by for a check-up the following day, nonetheless. Both she and Stephanie departed with smiles.

Hadrell wrapped his arm around Grace’s shoulders “You did good out there Captain” He slapped her back “And you’re a dam fine pilot, even if you did lose the plane!” He chuckled and pulled back, holding out his hand which Grace took. He had been her superior for almost as long as she’d known him, but in this moment, she legitimately felt like his equal.

With everyone gone but Dani she felt a little uneasy. Was she going to be scolded, was she going to be fussed over, was she going to be reprimanded in some way for taking unnecessary risks?

Dani took Grace’s hand and led her quietly to their quarters. As soon as the elevator door shut Dani brought Grace down to her and kissed her deeply. Grace returned the kiss, letting the stress and anxiety of the last 24 hours wash away in the arms of the woman she loved.

The elevator door opened and without words, Dani led Grace to the shower. She slowly took off her clothes, noticing even more new bruises and cuts, but rather than get upset over them, she kissed each one softly.

Grace gasped as she felt Dani’s lips press gently over a healing scrape on her thigh, and her stomach instantly tightened.

“Dani” she whispered, as she ran gentle fingers through Dani’s short hair.

Dani removed Grace’s T-shirt and exposed the angry wound on her side, and again, she placed a gentle kiss just to the side of the hot healing skin.

She worked her way up to Grace’s neck where again, two fresh scrapes received soft kisses.

Grace’s legs began to feel weak, Dani’s ministrations were making her head spin.

“Thank you for coming back to me Grace” Dani kissed Grace’s lips passionately, and Grace had to reach an arm out against the shower wall to steady herself.

“Dani ..” Grace breathed. Knowing this was something Dani needed to do to reassure herself that she was okay, but it was making Grace dizzy with desire.

Dani moved from her position and deftly turned the water on, letting the hot water wash away some of Grace’s sore muscles.

She grabbed the soap, and immediately started to gently wash away a days-worth of grim, sweat and blood from Grace’s body. And as she did, she quietly sent out a thank you that her lover was whole, and with her.

By this time Grace had both hands braced against the shower wall, and he lovers’ hands roamed her body freely. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out except a ragged exhale. She wanted Dani, but she also knew that Dani needed this. That this was a ritual of sorts. As she washed away the dirt and grime, it was her way of affirming that Grace was whole and alive and here.

Dani pressed herself up against her lovers warm back and wrapped her hands around her waist. One hand tracing soapy patterns along Grace’s firm stomach. The other moving up and capturing a breast, squeezing it softly and feeling the weight of it in her hand.

She traced small kisses up Grace’s spine to the juncture of her shoulders and her neck. She ran her hand through Grace’s slick hair and pulled her head back, allowing Dani to dig her teeth gently into chorded muscles of Grace’s sensitive neck.

“Dani …” Grace breathed again.

Dani pushed forward and Grace found herself pressed against the shower wall, legs spread, and arms raised above her head. Dani had positioned her silently, and Grace complied likewise.

“Te Quiero” Dani whispered into Grace’s ear.

She cupped Grace’s perfect ass, and let the soapy water help her massage it gently.

Grace pressed her forehead against the cool tile, and her breathing became quicker.

Dani lowered her hand and Grace tilted her pelvis in invitation, moaning as Dain slipped three fingers insider her in one quick motion.

“Uughhh” Grace groaned in pleasure. Her hands tried to find purchase on something, but the wet wall of the shower stall provided nothing for her to grasp.

Dani again pressed the full length of her body against her tall lovers back. Letting the water cascade off them as Grace moaned her pleasure. Dani’s fingers worked themselves insider her lover until Grace’s legs began to tremble, and Dani almost roughly bit into the smooth muscle of Grace’s shoulder.

“Fuck!” Grace gasped as she felt her orgasm start. Dani pumped her fingers harder and used her other hand to find Grace’s clit, bringing even more stimulation to her tall, trembling lover.

“Dani!” Grace moaned as her orgasm shook through her body, her legs trembled so much that she lost her footing and the two women ended up in a warm heap on the shower floor. Dani cradling Grace as much as her smaller body would let her. Grace blissfully silent as her orgasm continued to send after-shocks through her body.

There was a long silence filled with only the sound of the water and their heavy breathing, they broke the silence with laughter at the visage they must have made at the bottom of the shower.

“I thought you Augments were supposed to be tough or something” Dani teased.

“You try holding yourself up during an earth-shattering orgasm after having ben awake for 48 hours straight, being ejected from an aircraft and having run 40 clicks in two hours” Grace smiled proudly.

Dani chuckled “you truly are amazing” and bent down to kiss her lover, Grace reached up to bring her closer and within a few minutes of steamy making out, a very wet Grace was carrying a very surprised Dani to the bedroom, where she gently lay her on the bedding.

Grace placed her warm body on top of Dani’s and Dani sighed deeply. Digging her fingers into the small of her back, trying to get her closer. Dani opened her legs and Grace happily nestled her hips between them. She kissed her partner passionately, on her lips, her neck, her collar bone and breasts, licking and sucking the water droplets off Dani’s warm skin as she went. As she kissed her lover, Grace’s hips began to unconsciously rock into Dani, and as soon as Dani’s hips responded, Grace became aware of just how much she wanted to fuck her.

“Dani” She whispered between kisses

“hmmm?” Dani responded in a haze.

“I want to fuck you” Grace said seductively.

Dani groaned and nodded, capturing Grace’s lips again in a heated kiss.

“Give me a second” Grace whispered, and she quickly hopped off the bed to the footlocker where she extracted a familiar black bag.

Dani’s nostrils flared as Grace pulled out the harness and the long smooth blue dildo.

Grace kept eye contact with Dani as she went about her task “I want to fuck you slowly until you think you’re going to pass out” she grinned as Dani’s bit her lip and her eyes closed. She attached the dildo to the harness, and stepped into it, deftly tightening of the straps.

Without warning she grabbed Dani’s ankles and gently pulled her to the edge of the bed. “But first, I’m going to make you come so hard you won’t now if you have another left in you” She smiled seductively and lowered herself onto her knees.

By this time Dani was breathing deeply, her face was dark with desire, and she’d cupped one of her own breasts with her hand, squeezing her nipple to send an electric jolt down to her centre.

The way Grace was talking to her made her feel like she was going to come then and there. She didn’t think she would last long when Grace started.

Grace slipped her hands under Dani’s ass and brought her centre closer to her, she inhaled and immediately licked through her engorged folds. Keeping away from the swollen nub. She drew Dani’s soft skin insider her mouth and kissed it, just as she would kiss her on the lips.

“Grace” Dani breathed. She’d thrown an arm over her head, trying to find something to leverage against, but couldn’t. Her other had stroked gently through her lovers still wet locks.

Unbeknownst to Dani, Grace had also grabbed the purple dildo with the ribbed edges, and when she’d lulled Dani into a state of relaxed bliss from her gentle kisses and strokes she unexpectedly slipped the dildo into her lovers wet centre.

Dani almost sat upright in the bed and groaned at the unexpected fullness and pleasure that followed.

Grace pumped the dildo with vigour inside Dani, and at the same time she latched onto Dani’s clit, sucking it deeply into her mouth, exposing the bundle of nerves to her tongue which flicked it harshly.

Dani felt jolts of electricity everywhere in her body as her orgasm built. He legs began to tremble

“Grace I’m going to come” she panted.

“Not yet you aren’t” Grace let go of Dani’s clit and spoke softly. She slowed the dildo inside her lover and Dani moaned her protest.

“Do you remember that time we spent in that old abandoned research facility Dani” she said as she slowly moved the dildo an inch or two.

Dani could only moan again as erotic memories began flashing through her mind.

“Remember how you teased me for hours, not letting me cum until you said I could” She kissed Dani’s quivering belly and smiled. She was so close to the edge.

“Grace” she breathed.

“Do you remember my love?” she asked again,

“Si” Dani panted,

“Do you remember the power you felt over me, the high it gave us both, the pleasure it gave is both?”

Dani nodded silently,

“I want to do that to you tonight Dani” and with that she began pumping the dildo inside her lover again and sucked on her clit until Dani was almost screaming for release. Grace sucked Dani’s clit as hard as she could, and when it was fully extended inside her mouth, she bit down on it using her lips to cover her teeth, applying just enough delicious pressure to the nub to send Dani over the edge.

Dani’s legs clasped around Grace’s head, and she arched off the bed as wave after wave of pleasure emanated from her centre. Grace stilled her hand around the dildo and waited for Dani to ride out the aftershocks.

As Dani’s legs relaxed around Grace’s neck, she slowly pulled out the dildo, grasped Dani gently and pulled her up the bed, laying her long body on top of Dani’s smaller, still trembling one.

Grace captured her lips in a searing kiss, and her hips began to rock again. Dani groaned at the pressure that had already started to build again in her centre and she opened her legs wide for her lover, who reached between them and guided the longer, smoother dildo inside Dani.

Dani sighed at the fullness, at the weight of Grace on top of her, her heat. “I love you so much” Dani held Grace’s head between her hands.

Grace smiled almost shyly as the seriousness in Dani’s eyes “I love you too Dani” she ducked her head and captured her lips again. Keeping the rhythm steady with her hips. Sliding slowly in and out of her lover in long, deep strokes.

Dani wrapped her legs around Grace’s hips and clasped her arms around her shoulders.

She’d never felt this connected to another person in her life, yet, despite the perfect moment, and the sensual mood, a moment of terror washed over her as she realised that if something went wrong over the next day or two, this could possibly be the last time they made love, the last time they were together. 

She pulled Grace into her as hard as she could, and let silent tears flow from her eyes.

Grace felt the change in the room and stopped “Hey … Hey” She pulled back and unwrapped Dani from her shoulders. “Dani? What’s wrong”

Dani wiped away her tears and smiled at her beautiful lover.

“nothing mi amor. Everything is just so perfect, I felt a little overwhelmed is all.”

Grace kissed her gently “We can stop” she kissed her again “You know I’m also a 1st class snuggler” she smiled trying to lighten the mood.

Dani shook her head. “No, no. I just got a little overwhelmed” she placed her hands on either side of Grace’s face as she’d done countless times before and drew it towards hers. Kissing her deeply, trying to savour every moment she had with this amazing woman who had somehow captured her heart so fully and so deeply that she didn’t think they could ever be separated.

Dani lowered her hand to Grace’s hip and pulled her back inside, both women sighing at the sensation of the dildo sliding into its’ hilt.

“I need this Grace” she said, kissing the taller woman again. “I need you to make love to me like you said you would” she arched her back and rolled her hips, bringing them up as Grace brought hers down and again, they locked together perfectly.

Soon Grace was bracing her long body over Dani’s and stroking her slowly and deeply. Letting her orgasm build gently.

Dani let go of her momentary panic, and focused on the present, on the woman above her.

“Grace” she breathed

“Dani” Grace breathed back.

And they moved together and as Grace felt Dani’s need grow, she slowed again and looked at her lover.

“Dani” she said slightly gently. “I’d like to do that thing that you did to me, with the collar”

Dani almost laughed at Grace’s earnest, almost shy expression but held herself. This would be Grace’s first time doing something like this, and Dani was touched by the way Grace had approached it. She kissed Grace long and hard.

“Grace, I’d love for you to do that to me” she kissed her again. “Do you want me to talk you though it?”

Grace shook her head. “I was paying attention the first time” she smirked. Then she thrust her hips unexpectedly and Dani gasped.

“Essentially I fuck you until you almost pass out, and then I give you an orgasm” she smirked.

“Yes, essentially” Dani laughed. “But you have to be careful” she said seriously.

“Dani” Grace kissed her gently “I would never take any unnecessary risks with you. My RD will tell me what I need to know. I’ll be reading your vitals the entire time, I’ll know when you’re hypoxic”

“Sounds sexy when you say it like that” Dani laughed but kissed her lover for being so thorough.

Grace rolled her hips again and Dani arched into her involuntarily “you were saying”

“I’m all yours Captain Harper” she whispered through hooded eyes.

Grace’s blood surged at the trust and love that shone through Dani’s eyes. She bore down into Dani and kissed her deeply until Dani was moving against her again, lost to the sensations insider her.

Grace quickly withdrew, grasped Dani’s hips and turned her around. Pulling her up on her hands and knees.

She swiftly entered Dani again from behind and Dani made a sound of pleasure that almost broke Grace’s resolve to make this last.

Grace gently draped her body over Dani’s, careful not to put any added weigh on her smaller lover. She grasped Dani’s hip with one hand and used it to set their pace. With the other, she reached up and cupped Dani’s breasts. Massaging them gently, tweaking her nipples, squeezing until it elicited a moan.

“Grace” Dani panted “please”

“please what?”

“I need to come” she pleaded. Trying to pick up the pace of their hips but Grace wouldn’t allow it.

“you’ll come when I say you can come” she thrust long and slow into Dani below her “understand?”

Dani moaned and nodded. Her arms and legs were beginning to tremble, and Grace knew she wouldn’t be able to draw this out as long as she’d hoped, but she wanted Dani to experience everything she had planned.

She reached behind her and picked up the soft cotton scarf she’d placed there earlier. She folded it in half and gently drew it around Dani’s neck. Feeding the loose ends through the loop created at the other end, allowing her to adjust the tension with a simple pull.

All this time Grace had kept her hips rolling at a slow even pace and Dani was almost incoherent with pleasure. But as soon as she felt the soft material wrap around her neck, her pulse picked up and her body suddenly felt like it was on fire.

Grace leant over and picked up one of Dani’s arms and wrapped her hand around the sturdy headboard, followed by the other.

She pushed more firmly with her hips and Dani arched against her, using the headboard as both purchase and leverage.

“Fuck me Grace” Dani panted.

Grace didn’t have to be asked twice. She pulled gently on the scarf, and it tightened slightly around Dani’s neck, not enough to limit her airway yet, just enough to heighten its presence. At the same time she rolled her hips faster and harder into her lover.

Grace revelled in the feeling of taking her lover like this, and knew how rare a privilege it must be to have found somebody who trusted you, and whom you trusted enough to make sex play slightly dangerous.

Grace again pulled on the knot in the scarf, and this time Dani moaned as she felt it tighten around her airway.

As unromantic as it may have seemed, Grace kept a close eye on Dani’s vitals on her RD. Her pulse and BP were both elevated and her oxygen saturation was beginning to decline which was the whole point of this game.

She pulled even harder on the material and Dani’s ears began to ring as her carotid artery started to close off.

Grace placed a supporting hand on Dani’s abdomen as she pulled her into a more upright position. Dani’s hands went behind her and found Grace’s long legs and hips, so she kept contact where she could. Letting her partner take her weight.

Grace picked up the pace of her hips and reduced Dani to a series of sensual moans and whimpers.

Dani’s breaths became gasps as the scarf tightened again and Grace picked up her pace. Rocking the dildo into Dani’s centre harder, taking shorter more forceful strokes.

She lowered her hand that had been on Dani’s abdomen until it came into contact with her clit. Dani jerked and her head fell back onto Grace’s shoulder.

“Come for me Dani” she whispered sensually.

She stroked Dani’s clit roughly as she pulled the scarf tighter, completely occluding Dani’s airway for several seconds until her orgasm began. And when it did Grace immediately pulled the scarf away from her neck and held her writhing body against hers, pumping her hips in long slow strokes, sending Dani into another orgasm before the last had subsided.

After long moments, Grace gently brought them both back down onto the mattress, sliding the dildo gently out of her as she did. She scooped up Dani’s trembling body and held her close, revelling in every shudder and twitch she made for long minutes after.

After a long silence Dani spoke first.

“That was” she turned in her lovers’ arms so she could look her in the eyes. “I’ve never felt anything like that before Grace” she said smiling through the many kisses she placed over any part of her lovers’ body she could reach.

“It was amazing for me too Dani” Grace whispered almost in awe. “I’ve never felt so connected to anyone in my life” she kissed Dani softly “Thank you for giving yourself to me like that”

Dani smiled “Thank you for wanting to try this with me” she beamed. “It was fucking incredible” Dani said and stretched her body against her lovers. It was like all her nerve endings had been suddenly switched on and turned onto high.

She pushed her lovers’ shoulders and rolled her over onto her back.

“Dani” Grace questioned.

“Shhhh” she kissed her way down Grace’s sweaty body. “I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but the power, the control of taking somebody like that, it’s intoxicating, and it’s arousing” she grinned as she smelled her lovers arousal as she got closer to her centre.

Grace’s eyes darkened as she watched her lover deftly unstrap the harness and toss the apparatus to the floor. She spread Grace’s legs and nestled into the soft warmth of her.

If you’re anything like me, you feel you’ll come with a single touch. She licked over Grace’s wet centre, through her wet folds and over her clit, and Grace gasped, letting her body fall back. Dani took Grace inside her mouth and gently rubbed her tongue over her clit. As Dani predicted, it didn’t take long before Grace was moaning her name. Dani watched Grace’s belly begin to tremble and deftly inserted three fingers inside her lover, catapulting her into a full body orgasm. 

Dani quickly climbed her lovers’ body, and wrapped herself around her, listening to her hammering heart, feeling ever muscle twitch, ever tremor, every hitch in her breath as she rode it out.

As Grace came back down, Dani entwined her fingers on Grace’s chest and rest her chin there so she could watch Grace’s eyes change colour as she came back to herself.

“There really aren’t words for just how beautiful you are mi amor” she said plainly and honestly.

Grace laughed, embarrassed, but Dani remained here she was.

“I’m serious Grace. Your gorgeous body, your mesmerising eyes, your beautiful face, your quick mind, every inch of you captivates me. And I feel like I simply can’t ever be close enough to you or get enough of you”

Grace raised her arms and entwined her fingers behind her head. Taking a deep breath. Loving the feeling of her lovers weigh on top of her. Keeping her grounded, keeping her whole.

“We could just stay like this” she quirked an eyebrow. “Come up only for food and water”

Dani grinned back “Tempting”

Grace smirked “If we could live off love and sex alone, you and I would live till 100 easy”

It was an off the cuff joke, but suddenly they both felt the weigh of the truth of it. Neither of them would live to 100, that just didn’t happen in the world they occupied. And despite each of them making their own silent vows to keep the other protected, they also knew that remaining whole, and safe, and together over the coming days would be an uphill battle for them all.

Dani turned her head and listened to Grace’s heartbeat, and Grace pulled up the sheet around them, keeping one hand under her head and letting her other hand rest on the small of Dani’s back.

Neither woman said anything, they didn’t want to break the spell or make the words true, so they enjoyed the feel of their sated bodies against each other and slowly drifted off into a deep dreamless sleep.

***

“uuughhh” Dani moaned as she woke up in bed early the next morning.

“morning sunshine” Grace quipped from somewhere above her.

“Ugggh” Dani repeated and rolled over.

Grace smiled and sat at the edge of the bed with a cup of coffee and some fruit. Dani cracked an eye and grabbed the coffee gratefully.

Grace stood back up and casually rested her naked hip against the kitchen bench, popping a piece of fruit into her mouth before sipping her coffee.

Dani righted herself long enough to take a sip of hers, placed it on the bedside table and flopped back down to the mattress “You know, sometimes, there are moments when I forget our bodies are entirely different, and then there are moments like right now where I look at you, standing there naked, gorgeous and refreshed. Completely ready for the day” she paused for effect “and I look and feel like I’ve just been fucked all night”

Grace spat out the coffee she’d been drinking, and Dani laughed so hard she made herself need to pee, so she scampered to the bathroom as quickly as her sore body would let her.

Grace was busy wiping the spilled coffee off the floor and off herself when Dani came up behind her and wrapped her up in a hug from behind.

“Just so there’s no confusion” she kissed her lover between her shoulder blades “I loved being fucked all night” She smirked when she felt Grace laugh and turn around in the embrace and wrapped her strong arms around her.

“Can we just stay here like this for another couple hours?” Grace asked all the while knowing the answer.

“Briefing at oh-seven-hundred my love”

Grace sighed and squeezed Dani tightly before going to find some clothes to put on.

****

Grace started the meeting. There was a sense of tension and excitement in the air “Okay, so we know the DT chamber is likely on the east side of the dam as that’s where the power spike was picked up. It’s also the most heavily guarded from the images. When I flew over it, I saw a hive of 7’s, at least two HK’s and lots of automated weaponry mounted at strategic locations. I didn’t see any Rev-9’s but that’s not surprising. I assume, being the most sentient and autonomous of Legions weapons, their being used to help direct and test the chamber. But what I also believe is that Legion’s mainframe, it’s actual neural net is somewhere in that building, there’s just too much artillery there for it to be a testing facility”

Everyone in the room shifted and whispered excitedly.

Dani continued “Now we know that approximately 8 to 10 Rev-9’s were made. We know that at least 6 of them have been terminated, three in the warehouse, the two Hadrell’s team took out on their mission a few months ago, the 1 at the outpost. So, that leaves approximately 2, maybe 4 remaining. They are going to be our biggest challenge once we infiltrate the dam. Automated weapons we can disable, 7’s we now know how to take out much quicker and more efficiently than before. The HK’s can be taken out by our air strike team. But once we’re in the dam, it’s the 9’s that I feel will be our biggest adversary. They will be protecting not only the main neural net, but the TD chamber, if not getting ready to use it”

Grace piped up “you have to remember that they can look like anybody they make contact with, so always remember to have your IR, and X-ray on. Evelyn will be keeping an eye on us from the sky, and her drone will be equipped with night vis and IR. Keep your ears open, don’t always trust your eyes, listen to your gut, and if she says somethings there, listen to her”

Dani took over again “Hadrell’s team will flank the east side of the dam and gain entry via explosive charge, while Harper's team will make a direct approach from the west of the dam, and Montaine’s team will enter from above, after the airstrike.

Grace frowned “Commander, I thought both our teams would be taking the east entry way?”

Dani answered quickly and sternly “The plans have changed Captain, we need your team infiltrating from west, taking out any terminators as you sweep your way east towards Hadrell’s team. Once your team has neutralised all targets, you’re to re-join Hadrell’s team and take out the chamber together”

Grace felt uneasy about the plan, but she wasn’t the strategist that Dani was, so she nodded as did the rest of her team.

Dani continued. “Captain Montaine’s team will access via the top, and cut off egress for any of Legions weapons that aren’t destroyed in the airstrike. From there, their task will be to locate and isolate Legions neural net, if it is in fact there. If we get this right. If we can shut down the dam, Legion has no primary power source, if we can find the neural net and destroy it, Legion has no exit, it can’t upload anywhere or transmit itself to anything, and even if it did, it’s been cut off at the legs. It has nowhere left to go. They know that we know they’re there, so, as of yesterday we’ve already put in place long range signal distorting arrays, and sonic interference devices so everyone needs to remember that communication is by short wave radio only”

“Any questions?” Dani looked around the room and nobody spoke.

“Okay, you all know your jobs, let’s get this done, we leave in an hour”

Everyone stood, the energy in the room was palpable. The war could be over as soon as tomorrow!

****

Dragonfly One and Two took the three Spec Ops teams and a group of support troops to the designated operations site which was approximately one click from the dam. At this point in the game, it didn’t matter if Legion knew where they were or that they were coming, it only mattered that their plan worked.

The troops set up camp quickly and the three Spec Ops teams huddled together going over their plans.

Dani asked the two Captains and the Major to meet her in her tent in 10. They stood and left, and she took their place at the head of the table.

“There’s been a last-minute change of plans” The teams looked at each other uneasily.

“I’m sending Captain Harper on a highly confidential solo mission which means that her team will join Hadrell and I to take the east and west entries”

“Commander” she heard several affirmatives.

She nodded “Hadrell’s team will still take the east and west entry, and Montaine’s the top, Air strike will take out as many HK’s and 7’s as they can, but it might make ingress a little more difficult. 

Your team leaders will be back shortly to go over the revised plans.

***

“Commander” Grace, Montaine and Hadrell stood at attention.

“Captains, Major” she acknowledged.

Intel has come in which changes our situation slightly. The three team leaders looked at her seriously. Captain Harper, I need your team to join Hadrell’s who will take the east and west entry, and Montaine, yours will still take the roof.

“What do you need me to do Commander?” Grace asked.

“I need you on a sub level ingress, it’s a one-person job to disable the outlets for the dam. I need you to lay charges and then join Hadrell and I at the east entry.”

Grace stood straight and nodded. 

“Captain Montaine, Major, go prep your teams, we head out in 10” and the two left without question.

“Commander, do you really think that’s the best idea, separating us?” Dani looked at her defiantly and Grace approached closer “Evelyn’s team detected a small power surge within the dam maybe 15 minutes ago” she explained. “They know we’re here and we think they’re prepping the TD chamber, possibly for an imminent jump” She said seriously.

Dani nodded heavily and looked to the floor.

“That’s in then” she nodded again in slight defeat. She spoke into her radio. “Tell the tech teams to stand by, get the jets in the air, and get Spec Op’s ready to engage in 5”

“Dani” Grace spoke urgently. “Listen, you’ve done everything in your power to prevent this moment. But here we are”

Dani let a tear fall and looked away “Here we are” she acknowledged.

Grace got down on one knee and held Dani’s hands “Please Dani. If it happens. If what you said comes to be. Send me.”

Dani let another tear slide down her face and looked into her lovers’ clear blue eyes.

“Let me save you” Grace implored. Her face filled with nothing but love, and sincerity clear in her voice.

“lo siento mi amor” Dani said sadly, cupping one of Grace’s cheeks as yet another tear slipped out.

Grace frowned, not comprehending her lover’s apology. “Dani?”

In a quick motion Dani brought up the syringe to Grace’s neck and depressed the plunger before Grace reacted and ripped it away.

“Dani?” Grace rose and stumbled. Clutching the injection site at her neck. Her RD unit telling her she’d received a large dose of lorazepam.

“It’s a sedative Grace, you’ll be out for a few hours and this will all be over” Grace spun around angrily.

“What did you do?!” Grace’s eyes glowed bright iridescent blue indicating that her Augments were trying to counteract what was in her system.

“I won’t lose you” She said sadly “I won’t let you die for me”

“Dani” her vision started to blur “Dani please don’t do this!”

Dani guided her lover to the ground as gently as she could, tears falling from her eyes. She had no idea how this night would play out, but she knew Grace would not jump back in time and sacrifice herself again.

“Dani please” Grace whispered a plea as she blacked out

“I love you Grace” Dani whispered before kissing her lovers still lips, Dani strapped her wrists together with a cable tie and stood up “siempre”.

She ordered 4 privates back into the tent and told them to never take their eyes off the sleeping Augment, to always assume she was awake, and to use the tranquiliser darts at will.

She turned and walked out of the tent.

***


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All plot. The final battle has finally approached.  
> Lots of violence, gore, medical interventions and angst.

Dani gave a very brief and incomplete explanation to Hadrell and Montaine about needing to ensure Captain Harper didn’t take part in this mission because in her past, Captain Harper from the future had once come back in time to protect her when she was a young woman in Mexico, after her own world seemingly got overrun by Legion. She said that Grace needed to be clear of the device so that she wouldn’t repeat the jump, and that their timeline wouldn’t be sacrificed for the possibility of a new future in the next. She knew it wasn’t the full story, but the soldiers didn’t need to know everything now, so close to the battle, and they certainly didn’t need to know her motivations were more selfish.

“This time travel shit always messes with my head Commander” Montaine said “As long as you say Harper needs to stay clear, then Harper needs to stay clear. Orders heard and understood” he nodded and walked off to the main tent to be with his team.

Hadrell however took a quick look back inside the tent and swore as he saw Grace’s unconscious body on the ground. He came back and had a few more choice words for the Commander “You know she’ll never forgive you for this” Dani nodded. “Would you still make this decision even if you didn’t love her?”

Dani had thought about this on many occasions and she nodded confidently to the Captain.

“I love her, but my duty is to the Resistance, to humanity, to ensuring human-kind lives on, thrives even” she paused “In the future the other Grace came from it seemed as though Legion had all but won, and that her time jump was a last ditch effort to save another timeline rather than their own”

“I don’t want to save another timeline Major. I want to save ours. I want our people to feel what it’s like to live free from the threat of Legion for a change” she looked him square in the eyes. “To do that, I need to ensure that Grace’s presence on the field doesn’t sway me from that goal”

She looked at the ground and tried to explain a little more “I did this because I know that my love for her would jeopardise the mission somehow, and this is the only way I can see myself completing the task ahead, and making sure this timeline, our timeline, becomes one in which our children and our children’s children can prosper without fear or hunger or war.”

Hadrell sighed heavily. It hurt him to see Grace bound and unconscious. She deserved better. She had earned her chance to fight. But he also understood what the Commander was saying. Hell. If Eve was on the front line he wouldn’t know if he could trust his motivations either. Dani was a stronger person than he, that’s for sure.

“Commander” he nodded and also re-joined the main tent where they went over their revised plans. Hadrell’s team, along with the Commander, would take the east and west entry points, and Montaine’s team would enter from above, taking out any heavy artillery they came across and trying to locate anything that might suggest the Legion neural net was nearby. Everyone nodded and they all went in their own directions to prepare for the night.

****

The Commander, Hadrell, Montaine and the rest of the team approached the abandoned dam. Their intel telling them that the TD chamber was inside the fortified concrete to the east of the structure.

As Captain Harper had laid out for them earlier, there were anywhere between two to perhaps four Rev-9’s left by their calculations. They only needed one to use the TD chamber. These odds made Dani incredibly uncomfortable. They knew it took months to develop a fully functioning Rev9, but what if Legion had made even one more they hadn’t counted on? She shook her head free of those thoughts and led the team forward. 

Hadrell and three of his team had spent most of the previous night setting charges along the dam wall, not exactly sure where the TD chamber was, but hoping at least one of the charges would expose it, or at least an entry way to it.

He made the signal and the charges went off one after another, at the same time, the fighter jets flew overhead and dropped charges at the seemingly dormant HK’s and Rev-7’s on the top of the dam. Everything lit up at once and for a moment Dani had to shield her eyes from the fireworks. 

The teams remained still, not wanting to give away their location until they could see what they were dealing with.

Dani prayed that the second, more important half of the operation was going smoothly. An operation she’d kept from almost everyone. She grit her teeth, sent a silent prayer, and prepared for the night ahead.

***

Dani had been organising two top secret strike forces to decimate both the Alaska and Patagonia Legion strongholds at the same time that her teams took out the Hoover Dam.

She’d been working quietly with the San Diego base to re-task two submarines into nearby waters.

So far, the Resistance hadn’t utilised many of the Navy’s aquatic resources, and never any of their larger more well equipped vessels, which had appeared unusual as they were so plentiful in the area.

And that had been a well devised strategic plan that Dani had kept close to her belt for close to 20 years. She didn’t want to utilise the ships and subs during the war, because when she eventually did, she wanted it to come as a surprise to Legion.

So, for years, she and a small team at San Diego developed an attack plan which could be put into motion with 24 hours-notice. The notice was given 24 hours ago, and the Subs were in place, undetected, exactly as planned.

If Legion existed in any of the three locations, it would be destroyed. She couldn’t risk simply destroying the dam, if the AI could upload itself to another location.

The only other person on the base that she’d let into this plan was Evelyn, as lead engineer she could help to figure out how best to disguise the subs from Legion until they got into place, and how many weapons each sub would likely need to destroy the strongholds, and as her friend, she just needed to share the burden of such a heavy secret with somebody close to her.

So, at the exact moment the air strike team dropped their charges on the dam, the two Subs fired multiple tactical nuclear weapons at the strongholds. The weaponry Legion had developed at their strongholds wasn’t capable of a counterattack against nuclear weapons, especially not one directed from Sea, and this is what Dani had been counting on.

Legion had spent 20 years focusing on defence against small groups of humans, small weaponry, surface to air missiles, and maybe the occasional explosive device, so it had tailored its defensive and offensive weaponry accordingly.

Their defences proved woefully inadequate against the half dozen W76 Trident sea-launched ballistic missiles headed toward each stronghold.

Legion had nowhere to go except their secondary back-up, which is what Dani believed they’d found at the Dam.

She wanted to take their legs out from underneath them, back them into a corner with no escape, and then blow them to hell.

***

 _“Alaska and Patagonia down”_ Evelyn spoke into the Commanders private channel and Dani breathed a sigh of relief. That just left the Dam.

Dani made out a faint blue light coming from the far left of the dam. She recognised this light as the one the legion Rev gave off when she had destroyed it with Carl all those years ago, a Legion energy source.

She signalled to Hadrell who signalled to two of his team to proceed to the east entrance, ordering another two to the west, further from the light, but still a possible source of enemy egress.

 _“No visual activity yet”_ Evelyn spoke to them via comms. She had a solar drone circling the dam site, it had infra-red and night vision capabilities, and it was basically their only visual back-up. _“I can see a high level of energy output coming from the east of the dam, but no individual heat signatures”_

 _“Wait!” she called out. “7’s!”_ coming from the west.

Montaine’s team readied the motion sensor plasma cannons and as soon as the Rev’s landed, the cannons activated. He smiled as he watched the cannons work their magic on the Rev’s. Disintegrating them almost immediately.

“If only we had those a year or two ago” Hadrell quipped, referring to the battle at the tunnel that almost killed the Commander and Grace.

 _“We had them Major”_ Evelyn replied curtly _, “we just hadn’t fitted them to the dragonflies yet”_ Dani could hear her annoyance as she spoke a few French expletives. Dani quirked an eyebrow at the Major.

“Somebody’s in trouble” Dani smirked

“Not as much as you will be after all of this” Hadrell said seriously referring to the unconscious Captain laying in the tent a few hundred meters away, and Dani sobered quickly.

“I know” She said sadly.

When the plasma cannons stopped firing, Evelyn confirmed the absence of further heat signatures in the immediate vicinity.

The teams split and quickly made their way toward the dam and the most significant heat signatures, Hadrell and his team via the hole blown in the east dam wall, Montaine and his taking the top ingress points so they could neutralise any Legion threats that remained unseen.

***

Grace awoke groggy, dazed and angry but kept her eyes closed and her breathing even and tried to assess her situation. Her augments were telling her the sedative was almost out of her bloodstream, and that she was otherwise physically uninjured. She had been out for approximately an hour which was likely less time than Dani was hoping for, she’d obviously miscalculated the dosage, likely wanting to err on the side of caution. _‘Her mistake’_ Grace thought and clenched her jaw angrily, quietly snapping the wrist restraints that held her.

She continued to feign unconsciousness and she took in her surroundings.

Four human guards, she smirked. Against an Augment. What was Dani even thinking? Her face darkened. Dani. She mentally shook her head and cleared her thoughts. Her mission was the TD chamber.

She silently got up from the ground and had two of the guards out cold before the other two could respond. Both fired tranq darts at her but her predictive vis allowed her to easily dodge them and dispatch of the last two guards. She checked their vitals. All would have sore heads tomorrow, but they’d live.

She then pulled the straps on her tactical vest tighter, took a plasma rifle from one of the unconscious soldiers, and made her way into the night. She could see the damage to the Dam wall, and the energy signature coming from the east entry point. She scanned the area in night vis, infra-red, X-ray, and sonar. She could detect 14 human signatures, and six Legion, four Rev-7’s and two Rev-9’s. Her hearing picked up Hadrell’s voice ordering two more men to the west side of the Dam.

That’s 4 at the west, 4 at the east, and both Legion Rev-9’s were at the east near Dani and Hadrell. And she counted 5 up top, Montaine’s crew.

“Fuck” She cursed and took off at a sprint, scanning the whole time for any sign of Legion weaponry. She saw the fried remains of several Rev-7’s and the cooling plasma cannons, and paid attention to keep out of their range.

She got to the hole in the east side of the dam wall and entered quietly. Knowing that Hadrell’s team didn’t know she was there, nor did Legion, at least not yet.

****

Evelyn leant forward and tried to make sense of her screen _‘fuck!’_ she swore and immediately got on the Commander’s private channel

_“Dani, she’s awake and she’s at the dam”_

“Hijo de puta!” Dani yelled kicked the wall impotently.

 _“Do ….”_ Evelyn hesitated _“Do you want me to turn off her RD?”_

“No!” Dani shouted back. Grace would essentially be naked and blind without her RD. “Fuck!”

“Commander?” Major Hadrell interjected.

“Grace is awake” she said quickly.

“Right” he cocked his gun “Well we’d better take care of this TD chamber before she gets here, then shouldn’t we?”

Danni nodded firmly “Let me know if she gets too close Eve”

Evelyn nodded and disconnected their comms

****

Montaine’s team quickly dispatched the remains of the damaged HK’s on the landing pad, and approximately four Rev-7’s before they gained entry via the only service access points of the dam that wasn’t covered in debris or caved in from the air-strike.

He opened the hatch and dropped the 9 feet to the floor; the rest of the team were quick to follow. 

“Fuck me” she swore as his team found themselves in a very bright, very high-tech looking room, surrounded by another 4 Rev-7’s.

“I think we’ve hit paydirt” he said over his comms to Evelyn and the rest of the teams. He knew that in close quarters, his team didn’t stand a chance, but he also knew that this many Revs in one room, meant that this room contained something important. The bright swirling blue light being emitted from the seemingly liquid screens around the room proved that whatever it was, it was more advanced than anything they’d ever seen from Legion before, perhaps even legion itself.

“Hiding in the fucking broom closet” he whispered under his breath. This had to be Legion, the origin, the live version of the AI, or it was a backup of some sort. Either way he pulled his grenades and said a quick prayer.

His team knew the outcome as soon as Montane did, and they all lowered their weapons and activated various detonation devices they carried with them.

The Rev-7’s attacked swiftly and brutally as soon as they sensed the grenades. Killing the entire team in seconds, but they couldn’t stop the grenades or other explosives from going off, which of course was the plan. The 7’s were built to kill, they weren’t built to think or strategize, and that, in the end would be the beginning of the downfall of Legion.

Human flexibility, human compassion, a humans’ ability to put themselves in the line of fire for the sake of the mission, sacrifice, honour, commitment, courage in the face of fear. These were all things Legion could not understand because Legion wasn’t human. And that is why, as Dani predicted almost 20 years ago, Legion would lose. Humanity had created Legion and humanity would destroy it.

The explosives all went off within seconds of each other and Evelyn watched in horror as 5 monitors suddenly flatlined and went blank.

The dam shook and Evelyn radioed to Hadrell and Dani. _“I think Montaine found the neural-net. His team is gone”_ she paused _“but they took out the whole network by the looks of it.”_

“Fuck” Hadrell breathed in horror but also with a sense of impending victory.

***

Grace felt the blast shake the walls of the dam and wondered what had just happened, but her attention turned back to the area Dani and Hadrell were in as she could feel the electrical charge increase, and the bright blue light became even brighter. She knew she was close to the TD chamber.

She caught the heat signatures of the 4 Rev-7‘s and knew the cavalry had arrived to protect the time distortion event.

Her Infra-red display allowed her to see through the wall and watch the 4 soldiers fight off the Rev’7’s.

Their team had become quite efficient at dispatching this particular rev over the years, but still, it was 4 humans against, four Rev-7’s, and potentially two Rev-9’s. No sooner had she thought of them then she saw the heat signature of a Rev 9 entering the TD chamber. But only one, when she had first seen two. She scanned for the second but couldn’t pick it up.

She heard Dani lob a grenade at the chamber toward the 9 but saw a Rev-7 put itself in the way and take the blast.

Hadrell had been speared through both his leg and shoulder but he could still use his rifle effectively which he did and took out another two 7’s

Grace could feel the energy in the room spiking and her pulse sped up. She raced around the corner to the rear of the TD chamber and fired a plasma round into the last remaining 7.

As the chamber came into view, she saw a ball of blue light, and saw the same Rev-9 from the warehouse, and from the outpost, crouching at the centre of the chamber as its’ power peaked.

Dani was crouched on the ground, but looked unharmed, Grace had no weapons other than the pilfered rifle which only had plasma rounds in it but she thought she could reach the TD control panel before it launched, so she raised her weapon in that direction. _‘Too late’_ She felt the energy spike as the chamber launched and her stomach dropped.

All of a sudden, the Rev9 inside the chamber let out a guttural digital scream. Grace stopped dead and watched it arch its back and try to reach behind itself.

Dani had hurled a length rebar she scrounged from the floor into the energy field and it had torn through the back of the Rev-9 just as the chamber reached maximum energy.

The launch started, but with the inorganic material embedded through the Rev-9, the electromagnetic force of the TD chamber started tearing his liquid alloy skin off. It melted off him, essentially evaporating in the space in the chamber, and now that his endoskeleton was exposed, the EM field generated by the TD chamber began shredding, crushing and melting every part of the Rev. Its’ arms dis-engaged from its body and were thrown out of the chamber close to Grace’s feet. It melted to the metal floor of the chamber and couldn’t escape. Letting out an electronic howl of what sounded like anger, the Rev sunk to the chamber floor and within moments the chamber and the rev inside it exploded. Hurling rubble in all directions.

Grace was thrown across the room as were Dani and the rest of the resistance team. 

Grace picked herself up after a dazed minute and ran over to the team.

“Dani!” she yelled, trying to find her lover. She heard a cough and ran towards the familiar mop of dark hair. “Dani are you okay?” She did a quick vitals and X-ray check and assured herself that her partner was fine.

“Grace?” Dani asked softly “I …”

“Later okay” she meant that they’d talk properly later, but for now they needed to neutralise the last Rev-9 and make sure the remaining members of the team were okay.

Grace spoke quickly “There’s one Rev-9 left, at least one that I can see and I’m assuming it headed to the other side of the dam, there’s 4 members of the team headed in its’ direction so I’m going to go head them off. You and Hadrell need to set charges around this chamber and make sure it’s taken out. Make sure there’s nothing left for Legion to rebuild”.

Dani nodded. She still wasn’t sure she was seeing or hearing properly. The concussive force of the blast had knocked her out for a minute or two.

Grace moved to Hadrell. “Major” she nodded at him

“Captain” he nodded back”

“You okay?” She scanned him and knew that he would be.

“Peachy” he quipped.

“Okay, so there’s a 9 at the west end of the dam. There are also 4 of our team members on their way there.

“Eve, you getting this?” He spoke into his radio.

 _“Loud and clear”_ she replied and relayed the information to the four soldiers making their way to the west entrance.

“I’m going to go take care of that 9, and I need your team here to finish dismantling the TD chamber. Blow it to hell.” She grinned.

Hadrell handed her his rifle “take this” and his ammunition belt “And this”

Grace grinned again and strapped the weapons to her body, she turned to Dani “Well done Commander” Grace congratulated, but her eyes contained a deep sadness. She squared her shoulders and sprinted off in the other direction.

“Grace, wait!” Dani called out after her lover, but the tall soldier was gone.

 _“William, does Grace have a radio or her meds?”_ Evelyn spoke into his ear.

“Fuck” he cursed. “No, why”

_“I’m picking up a surge of electrical power coming from the west entrance of the dam.”_

“Fuck me” He tried to stand but couldn’t. He yelled at the remaining two members of his team to follow Captain Harper to the west end of the dam, that there might be another device.

“An insurance policy” Dani spoke quietly. “Two 9’s, two TD chambers. One kept dormant and out of sight”

“Pendejo!” She swore enthusiastically pulled herself up off the floor. “I need to go after her” Dani told Hadrell.

“You go. I’ve got this” He nodded and handed her his med-gun.

“Evelyn” Dani spoke into her radio

_“I’m here”_

“Send somebody back for Hadrell”

_“On it”_

Dani half limped have ran towards the west end of the dam. Torez rushed past her on her way back to Hadrell. Dani grabbed her by the collar of her vest “Blow the chamber, and get him out of there”

“Yes ma’am” She nodded and kept running.

***

With her augmented agility and speed, Grace had caught up to the four soldiers close to the west entrance in virtually no time. She informed them of the presence of another 9, and they informed her of the presence of another TD chamber.

“Insurance policy” She whispered under her breath. “You four with me. Eyes open. EMP’s for the 9 she said in a commanding voice and all four soldiers, her whole team Taylor, Kahn, Gomez and McCormack immediately fell in line.

They entered the west wing of the dam and found that the airstrike had taken the roof of the structure off. They could see the night sky and Grace took a moment to appreciate the view.

Step by step they worked their way through the rubble and approached the far end of the dam. They circled an empty cooling tank, a concrete reservoir which would have held coolants and other chemicals in it. But which lay empty now.

She scanned every inch of the building but couldn’t pick up any abnormal heat signatures.

She heard the distinct sound of flesh being pierced and swung around just in time to see Gomez drop into the reservoir. She trained her weapon at where she had been. Her RD picking up noting abnormal on IR, X-ray or Night-Vis.

“Fuck” She whispered.

“Didn’t see it Captain” Taylor who had been closest to the fallen soldier whispered back.

“He’s fast” She agreed. “I can’t pick him up”.

From her vantage point, Evelyn became suddenly confused. She could see the IR signatures of six soldiers when there were only supposed to be 5. One was almost ten feet behind their position, his signature dimming which indicated a cooling body temp which meant death. Another was at the bottom of the reservoir, with unstable vitals. And there were four including Grace at ground level. Suddenly her heart jumped.

The soldiers were using their RD’s to scan dark spaces and empty rooms, but they hadn’t been scanning each other!

 _“He’s there with you”_ she whispered _“it’s one of them”_ then remembered that Grace didn’t have an earpiece.

But Kahn and McCormack heard the French doctor loud and clear and raised their weapons to the soldier next to the Captain firing simultaneously, but the Rev not only heard the transmission, he predicted the fire and dodged both rounds. Spearing McCormack through her chest and throwing her into the reservoir followed quickly by Kahn who was speared through his leg and thrown into the pit below. All of this happened in less than two seconds. Grace tried to train her weapon on the Rev but it moved too fast. 

The Rev turned to face her and Grace gasped. He no longer looked like Taylor but was wearing the same face as the previous two male Rev-9’s she’d encountered, still wearing a Spec Ops uniform.

She fired and he dodged the round.

He shrugged “Sorry ma’am” he smiled charmingly “I couldn’t have you ruining my big moment, now could I?”

She fired again and he split himself in two letting the round be absorbed by his liquid alloy half, therefore not affecting his metallic half at all.

He quickly disarmed Grace sending an extended spear through her wrist holding her weapon, and another straight through her leg, sending her to the floor.

He threw the fallen rifle back to the far end of the room, and he lifted Grace painfully into the air and carried her into the adjoining room where he dumped her in a heap on the floor.

He put his two halves together and proceeded to turn up the power to the TD chamber and smiled and the bright blue light flashed brighter.

Grace grit her teeth. She was in pain and loosing blood but nothing critical. She took off her belt and tied if off high up on her thigh to stop the bleeding.

Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how to stop the Rev.

***

 _“Dani”_ Evelyn spoke urgently into her mic.

“Evelyn” Dani panted back. She was pretty sure her ankle was broken and she was making slow progress to the west end of the dam, but she hadn’t caught up with Grace, or the second member of Hadrell’s team who he’d sent after them.

_“Dani, Grace has found the Rev-9. There’s a second TD chamber, and he’s just powered it up. Her entire team is down Dani. There’s only you and one more soldier in the vicinity. Torez and Hadrell are about to exit the east chamber”_

_“Dani”_ Evelyn spoke quietly, and Dani stopped moving _“Grace is hurt”_ Evelyn looked up at the vital displays for all the Augments. Only 5 showed activity, everyone else had flatlined. Kahn was alive but bleeding heavily, Hadrell and Torez appeared okay, she could tell that William had used his med-gun earlier. Gomez was hurt but not critical, Grace on the other hand was losing blood, and she could tell from the hormone spike that she likely had torn muscles and broken bones _. “She needs her meds soon”_ Evelyn spoke urgently, knowing that the plan was for Grace to be weapon-less, tied up, and passed out away from the dam, but somehow that hadn’t played out as hoped.

“Fuck!” Dani swore and tried to pick up pace. She caught the back of a helmet and called out.

The soldier stopped running and turned, it was Specialist Romano, the second soldier Hadrell had sent after Grace. “Commander?” She asked confused to see Dani limping toward her.

“Help me get to the west chamber. Fast” She raised her arm and let her carry some of her weight so she could move quicker towards the chamber and towards Grace.

“Do you have EMP rounds soldier” she asked.

“yes ma’am” she grunted.

“Load them up”

She complied while not breaking pace.

***

 _“Everyone is accounted for Dani”_ Evelyn came over the earpiece. _“Torez and Hadrell are about to detonate. There’s you and specialist Romano, and there’s Harper with the Rev-9 at the west chamber, plus the three soldiers he terminated and Kahn and Gomez are injured but stable at the bottom of the reservoir”_ she finished sadly.

“How far away are we?” she grunted.

 _“About 100 meters”_ Evelyn said sounding a bit panicked.

“we can do this ma’am” Specialist Romano said in a confident voice, reminding Dani of another young specialist she used to know. She Grit her teeth and urged her body onward. 

*****

“Legion is the only way” the Rev-9 spoke calmly to Grace on the floor.

“Humanity is the only way” Grace replied just as calmly.

The Rev 9 smiled.

“Granted. The Resistance has come close on many occasions Grace” He registered her surprise at his use of her name.

“Oh, you think this is the first time we’ve met?” He chided.

Grace’s mind was spinning.

“You and I have crossed paths several times Grace” he spoke softly “My orders up until now have been to observe you, all of you” he quirked slight smile “I’ve served you food, I’ve mopped your floors, I’ve even seen your Augment Chamber. Very Impressive” He smiled even wider “You, are very impressive”

As the machine powered up, he started transforming his military clothing into replicated skin. “You humans are as resilient as cockroaches, but without a leadership, you’re nothing”

“You don’t even know where you’re going or who you’re looking for!” She bit back. She knew that very few people knew Dani’s real name nor where she came from.

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong Grace” he circled the chamber and stopped at the entry. “Daniella Gloriana Ramos, born 12th July 1999, works at Arius motors with her brother Diego, lives a simple life at 55 Calle De Sol, Ciudad de Mexico with her hermano and her Papa in the year 2020” He finished with a slight smile.

Grace’s eyes widened in shock. Even she didn’t know half of that information.

“We’ve known for years. We just needed the time to develop the TD chambers”

“You won’t get her” She said through grit teeth. Grace thought to Dani’s story of the other Grace following the Rev-9 back to the past, and she knew that if nothing else, she would do the same, without question.

The TD chamber had almost powered up completely, and the Rev-9 climbed inside and assumed a crouching position.

Grace thought frantically, her foggy head making clear thought hard. Suddenly she remembered the ammo belt Hadrell had given her, and the grenades in it. She slowly moved her arms to release the catch and quietly extracted two grenades.

The device was seconds away from launching, she could feel the energy surge in the air.

She took a grenade in each hand and threw the first with her good hand towards to TD chamber which the Rev-9 caught easily and threw back. Grace rolled out of the way and threw the second grenade awkwardly towards the control panel which of course, the Rev wasn’t prepared to stop.

The Rev let out the same mechanical howl as the previous Rev, as the control panel exploded, and Grace felt hot shrapnel hit her bare arms, her neck, and her cheeks. The TD chamber overheated and caught fire several moments later, obviously going into some kind of overload without adequate controls.

She stood on a shaky legs and took in the carnage. The Chamber was disabled, not destroyed, and the Rev was nowhere to be seen.

She pulled out her third and last grenade and pulled the pin, aiming to finish off the chamber.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you” the Rev’s smooth voice came up behind her.

She turned around just as he extended his arm and speared her through her torso.

She gasped in shock and pain but still managed to throw the grenade. “You should have killed me when you had the chance you metal motherfucker” She growled.

Again, he yelled, throwing her back through the entryway to the chamber and toward the reservoir.

The blast went off in the TD chamber and the Rev appeared moments later, damaged, with his exoskeleton half melted off, but still alive, still hunting her. 

She had landed hard on the concrete ground, but within reach of the rifle he’d tossed aside earlier so she picked it up, checked and found two EMP rounds and several plasma rounds, She stood on shaky legs, aware of the blood dripping from her torso wound, of it filling her lungs.

She fired one round in his direction. The kickback of the rifle caused her to step back.

He was too quick, predicted it’s trajectory, and it missed.

Grace could begin feeling the effects of the blood loss and tried to focus as she fired a second time. Again, he feigned left, and she fired left allowing him to dodge the round easily.

He charged at her and she fired the explosive rifle rounds she had left, only managing to slow him down

She fired the final round available to her and it hit him square in his face, the force of the blast caused the Rev9 to fall back, but it wasn’t dead. It had already begun to reform itself.

She tossed the now empty gun aside and gasped sharply, dropping one knee to the floor clutching her abdomen. She knew she’d likely received a fatal injury but at the same time, it dawned on her, she still had one weapon left at her disposal, and the Rev9 had just helped make it possible for her to access it.

The Rev9 was reshaping itself, she didn’t have much time before he’d be whole again. She grit her teeth and reaching underneath her vest, she forced her fingers through the wound created by the spear.

“Merde! Grace! No!” Evelyn whispered at her monitor. She’d switched the drone to night vision and because the west end ground level was fully exposed after the air strike, she could see clearly what Grace was about to do. She closed her eyes and let a tear fall before pressing her comm button _“Dani, you need to get there fast!”_ she pushed away from her desk she didn’t want to watch, but she also felt that somebody needed to be witness to it, to be able to tell the story afterwards.

Grace knew that without her power core she wouldn’t be able to operate her physical enhancements, the nanites in her blood would cease functioning, and that her organic body would succumb to the trauma she’d received, but she would have a very small window of time in which her reserve power, her human metabolism, her muscles, her heart and lungs, her brain, might be able to assist her to deliver the final, fatal blow to Legion.

Pain surged through her body and made her vision blur, but she pushed her fingers further through the wound until they brushed against her warm power core. The Rev9’s spear had pierced a path through her metal armour and through her body, right next to her core. She hooked the tips of her fingers around it and took a deep breath before pulling hard.

She immediately felt it dislodge with a click, and at the very same moment, her body became unbearably heavy. Her retinal display flashed an immediate warning “8% reserve power” then “critical power core failure. Replace immediately. Assistance requested”

Evelyn watched in horror as the same warnings flash up on the overhead in the observation room.

The Rev9 had finished recreated himself and was approaching her again.

She pulled evenly and removed the power source from her body, it slid easily through the hole in her abdomen, warm and heavy. With it came a gush of blood, her breathing became ragged and she could taste the metallic hint of blood in her throat.

She held the core in her hand at the ready. Not sure that when the time came, she’d be able to command her body to move, she sent a silent prayer that she would find the strength in the coming seconds. She had to. For the Resistance, for Dani.

“Come on Grace” Evelyn whispered as though she could pass strength through her monitor to the soldier. Not wanting to watch, but not being able not to. Not wanting Grace to die, but also wanting her to succeed in killing the Rev.

As the Rev-9 sped forward, Grace rose on unsteady feet. Her vision blurred for a second as she breathed through the pain coursing through her body.

He launched himself at her but this time, as he landed, Grace managed to duck to the side to avoid his speared arm headed toward her. As he followed through with his swing, she brought her own arm up and with a scream of determination she plunged her power core through his mouth and into what would have been his brain had he been human. In this case, the power core surged in response to the close proximity to the Rev 9’s own processor.

Evelyn jumped back and half screamed half cried in triumph, tears running down her face because she knew that although Grace had just killed the 9, and likely ended the war, she had done so at the cost of her own life _‘And Dani doesn’t know yet’_

In response to the unexpected power surge, the Rev 9 reflexively brought his arm back up towards his attacker, but this time, fatigued and near death, Grace was not able to retreat and he pierced her cleanly through her left shoulder, lifting her off her feet as he reacted involuntarily to the current passing through his body.

Grace screamed and grabbed the spear close to the wound, gritting her teeth against the new source of pain. She didn’t have the strength left to overthrow the terminator, nor push him off her, but perhaps she could use momentum. As her feet came back into contact with the ground she pushed off, and together she and the struggling Rev 9 moved closer to the edge of the reservoir.

Just a little more. She breathed heavily. Beads of sweat rolling down her face from the effort it took her to stay conscious. She needed to finish this.

She felt small jolts of electricity transmit from the overloading Rev 9 and she knew her job was almost done. Just one last step to make sure it was finished.

The core surged again, and Grace saw flashes of data appear in her RD, data she wasn’t familiar with. Each time the Rev received a pulse from the core in his skull, she would see images from his own microprocessor. She imagined it was some kind of unintentional data transfer because they were physically connected, but she didn’t have the energy or means to decipher any of it.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Dani run into the room, Grace let out a breath of relief and nodded at her, smiling slightly.

Then as if in slow motion, Grace shifted her weight an inch and simply let her heavy body tip over the edge and into the reservoir below, she closed her eyes and relaxed, pulling the Rev along with her. It was a 30 foot drop and she was semi-conscious the whole way down, and she discovered that it was true what they said about your life flashing before your eyes, except, for Grace, it was images of Dani that flashed before hers, which she supposed was apt as Dani was basically her only family, and almost everything she’d known since she was a teenager.

She was dying, of that she was certain. But Dani would live, and that was all she cared about. Legion had lost the war. Finally. And Dani would be safe.

She fell fast and hard, still embracing the Rev-9 as it struggled against the current pulsing through it. They slammed into the floor of the reservoir with such force, that the cement beneath them gave way slightly, cracking and sinking as it absorbed the impact.

The impact violently dislodged the Rev-9’s spear from Grace’s shoulder and she recoiled with a low groan, feeling her arm dislocate and the pain ratchet up. She could feel the slow spread of her warm blood underneath her vest. She was dazed, still conscious, but lacked the strength to move her body.

She lay there thinking that if the Rev had in fact transferred data to her in some way, she needed to make sure that Dani or at least Evelyn got a hold of it. She pulled open a pocket on her vest and pulled out a mini storage device. She connected it quickly to the input socket near her temple and downloaded the last 5 minutes worth of images and data to it. She unplugged it and put it back in her vest pocket.

That simple task seemed to take what energy she had left, she couldn’t move. It didn’t matter though. Her retinal display showed her everything she needed to know. What little natural electrical current still existed in her body, continued to allow her RD to function, and the Rev-9’s vitals appeared before her, ‘critical system failure’, ‘shut down imminent’. Her own vitals off to the side showed similar, ‘urgent medical attention’, ‘hypovolemic shock’, ‘critical injuries’, ‘6% reserve power’. She knew that her processor had already signalled for medical aid, it had already sent signals to shunt blood flow away from her limbs and toward her vital organs. It would continue doing everything it could, given the limited power it had, to preserve her life.

Grace’s optical display flashed an angry red ‘WARNING’ signalling the last of her power supply. Her body felt weak and heavy, but another new sensation started to pervade. Cold. Since the augmentation procedure Grace had benefited from an endless supply of heat generated by her core. Now that it was gone, her human body in obvious shock, felt tendrils of ice snake around each limb, climbing closer to the centre of her body. She trembled but continued to watch the Rev-9, waiting for the moment it stopped struggling, hoping it would give up its’ fight before her own body did.

And it did. With one last lurch, a bright blue pulse of energy washed through the metal body leaving it cold and still as it subsided. ‘Target Terminated’ flickered into view, and with a breath of relief Grace closed her eyes. It wouldn’t be long now, ‘4% reserve power’.

***

“Grace!” Dani screamed as she watched her tip both herself and the rev-9 over the edge.

“Oh my God!” Specialist Romano breathed in disbelief.

Dani ran to the edge and could see Grace and the Rev-9 below. Tangled in a frightening heap at the bottom of the pit. The Rev-9 convulsing almost angrily as the waves of blue light passed through its body. Dani held her breath as she watched Grace for any sign of movement. From this distance, she was too far to see if Grace was still breathing, but the veins in the cement floor underneath their bodies told Dani just how hard their impact had been. Enough to kill a normal human. But Grace wasn’t normal. Dani fumbled with the ropes she pulled from her pack, tying them off at an anchor point and threading them around herself without conscious thought. All her focus was on her lover’s body.

“Romano, I need you now!” She called out before stepping over the edge, rappelling down before the Specialist could stop her.

***

Evelyn, who had been watching and listening to the entire scene, informed Hadrell and Torez to get to the west wing as fast as possible.

She had already called for a dragonfly to prepare for a medical evac. She called down to trauma and asked them to prepare for at least four Augment traumas, trying to explain what she could to Dr Yeo. And she spoke to Hadrell and Torez, relaying briefly what had happened”

She threw her earpiece across the room, not satisfied with the impact it made, she threw her chair against the glass wall. Which being reinforced, didn’t break. Infuriated, she picked up her water glass and threw it at the wall.

She screamed out an angry impotent breath and went to retrieve her chair and her earpiece and sat back down at her station. Watching but not able to help was the worst feeling in the world.

***

Dani reached the bottom of the reservoir and took in the bodies of at least three Spec Ops soldiers. Kahn was tending to Gomez, and McCormack appeared dead. She saw the dark metallic corpse of the Rev-9, and then she saw her lover’s body lying on her side, close to the terminator. She ran towards Grace and slid to a stop on her knees by her side.

Grace slowly opened her eyes, sensing a presence “Dani” Grace whispered quietly. A soft smile reaching her bright blue eyes as the pain receded into the background.

“Hold on Grace” Dani said sternly. There was so much blood pooled around her lover’s body. She gently rolled her to her back and opened the straps of her utility vest, gasping as the damage she saw. Another image flew through her head, Grace from 22 years ago, bleeding out from underneath her vest.

Specialist Romano quickly assessed the scene, Kahn signalled that they were fine and she ran towards the Commander and dropped to Grace’s other side and began working on her. The damage to the Captains body seemed catastrophic, but the medic in her sorted through procedures to save her friend.

“Stephanie?” Grace said through the haze in her head.

“Just hold on Captain okay, we’ll get you through this” She locked eyes with her and laid a gentle hand on Grace’s undamaged shoulder before proceeding.

Grace’s gaze became unfocused, she coughed painfully, and blood tinged the inside of her mouth.

 _‘fuck’_ Stephanie cursed. At least one if not both of Grace’s lungs were punctured. She’d bled out so much that she couldn’t find a usable vein anywhere on the Captain’s arms or legs. She was going to have to do an intraosseous infusion.

“Commander, I need you to try and keep her still and calm. She’s lost too much blood for me to find a good vein, so I have to drill a small hole in her leg and run a cannula directly into her bone”

Dani felt sick at the thought of it but nodded.

Specialist Romano indicated to Grace’s torso and handed Dani as much Hemostatic Gauze as she could “crack these open, place them over her abdomen and apply as much pressure as you can, the dressings should slow the bleeding”

Dani cleared her head and quickly accepted the rolls of gauze Specialist Romano had handed her. She opened them and pressed them to the wounds and despite Grace’s weak moan of protest she pressed harder, willing the bleeding to stop.

Specialist Romano deftly pulled out a small powerful drill, plugged in the cannula attachment, swabbed Grace’s calf and quickly drilled through her bio mesh and into the bone, setting the cannula in place in less than a minute. The medic set up a drip, attached two units of blood and saline knowing it was nowhere near enough and administered pain relief directly through the cannulas second port.

Sergeant Kahn had dragged himself over to them to see if he could help and Specialist Romano handed him a 2 litre bag of saline and the blood and told him to push on them as hard as he could so that it would enter Grace’s body quicker.

She then moved to the Captains head where she deftly applied a brace to keep Grace’s head as still as possible during transport, before using more haemostatic gauze on Graces shoulder injury. Pushing down, desperately trying to slow the flow of blood until they could get more fluid into her.

Grace faded in and out of consciousness as all this was going on around her. At times her eyes were open but she didn’t seem to be aware of anything around her, other times she snapped back into focus, and with the focus came the pain and she’d try to push herself back to where the pain couldn’t reach her.

“Please Grace” Dani pleaded “just stay with me”

“Dani” Grace managed to wrap her weak fingers around one of Dani’s forearms and gently pulled “please” she took a rattling breath and cringed “please, let me go” She coughed and tasted more blood in her throat, her breathing became laboured and heavy.

Dani shook her head and started to protest. A hard lump stuck in her throat as she registered Grace’s request. “No!” she said vehemently. Locking eyes with her lover. Their deep brown filled with fierce determination. She would not let Grace die, not this time!

“Grace” she said trying to find anything to keep the soldier alert and with her “We took out the Legion mainframe” she smiled “Can you believe it!”

Grace smiled lightly “Captain Montaine did a great job, tell him I said so” her eyes started to close again.

“Get Dragonfly One ready!” She yelled into her radio and was advised it was already en route. Dani felt a gentle pull on her hand and looked back down.

“Dani” Grace said with plain sincerity in her voice “I’m tired, please” Grace blinked slowly and her body shuddered gently, whether from cold or pain or an electrical discharge Dani didn’t know.

Dani watched Private Romano draw a large clamped tube from her pack and knew what it was for, she reached down and cupped her lovers face between her hands as the medic deftly inserted the tube between her ribs to draw out the blood pooling in her lungs. Grace grimaced, and it found its mark immediately ejecting blood on to the concrete floor. Dani felt sick watching her lover’s life just spill out of her while they tried desperately to keep it in. The medic attached bag to the line and let it fill.

“Shhh! Mi amor” She crooned. And placed a soft kiss on her forehead “It’s going to be okay Grace, just stay with me”

Dani had managed to slow the flow of blood from Grace’s abdomen with the purpose build dressings, so she strapped the vest back tightly over the bandages to keep the pressure on, allowing her to free up her hands to help in any other way.

Grace let out a low incoherent moan. She turned her questioning eyes to Specialist Romano, who nodded back in steely determination.

Specialist Romano darted off to where Gomez lay prone but stable and hooked her up to an IV and checked on the wound dressings Kahn had provided. Satisfied that she would be okay, she returned to the Captain. She changed out the now empty IV bags and handed another two to Kahn. She drew another syringe of morphine and fed it through the port.

As a medic, she knew what her friend’s chances were, and there was absolutely now way she was going to let her be in unnecessary pain when it happened.

“Dani” Grace breathed weakly. She’d turned off her retinal display when it started flashing the word ‘CRITICAL’ across her view in bright red lettering. With her vision clear but dimming, and the sound of everything becoming distant, she knew it was almost time, and she genuinely welcomed it. She would be glad to be rid of the struggle, the pain, the daily fight, the hunger, the fear, the constant noise in her head. The only thing she knew she’d miss were Dani and Oatmeal, but they’d have each other, and that would have to be enough.

“I love you” she said clearly and calmly. Grasping Dani’s hand firmly

As far as she was concerned, she’d fulfilled her purpose in life. She had promised to serve and protect Dani and the Resistance, even before she became a soldier, every action she took from that moment in the parking lot to this one had been with that purpose in mind. With the TD chamber neutralised, and the last Rev-9’s destroyed, Legion was all but defeated. Hadrell’s team were more than equip to dispatch whatever remained of the Rev-7 units, Legion had nowhere to go. Humanity would finally win, and she’d ensured Dani’s survival. The new world wouldn’t be one for soldiers like her, but for teachers, farmers, engineers, scientist, and for leaders like Dani to help them prosper, how could they not succeed?

Yes, everything was as it should be. Another shudder ran through her body, her eyes closed slowly as she invited the quiet.

“Grace” Dani spoke urgently. She heard the whirr of the Dragonfly above them as it prepared for extraction she just needed Grace to hang on a little longer.

The Dragonfly above had sent down a stretcher and together the three of them carefully slid the stretcher under the prone soldier and pulled her broken body on top of it, wrapping her in a blanket and tightening the straps to secure her to it.

She noticed the distant look in her lover’s eyes, the small convulsion as she closed her eyes. Terror filled her, making it hard for her to stand let along breath, but she finished helping the Medic secure the stretcher and moved to attach it to the winch when Grace pulled on her.

“Dani, can we just stay here a moment” Grace said weakly. “Please” she swallowed.

Dani cupped her lovers face and signalled to Stephanie to get the others aboard the Dragonfly. Stephanie quickly ducked off and attached Kahn and Gomez to the winch and it started hoisting them up together.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it” Grace said in a whisper. Her red rimmed blue eyes fixed on the open sky above her, beyond the dragonfly above them. To the stars scattering the night sky.

Dani let a few tears fall. She knew Grace was slipping away, but even so, she still noticed the beautiful things around her.

“Si mi amor, it is beautiful” she smiled and stroked her cool cheek.

“I wish …” Grace spoke but didn’t finish the sentence as her eyes closed in pain.

“Grace” she continued to gently stroke the soldiers’ cheek, noticing the unusual coolness of her skin “Come on Grace, open your eyes” she cajoled.

Grace was pulled from the respite of darkness toward the voice calling her name. She struggled but managed to open her eyes and focus on the dark eyes above her.

“Stay with me okay” Dani spoke firmly but lovingly. She saw Kahn and Gomez get lifted and knew Stephanie had quietly returned to them and had begun attaching the cables to the stretcher.

“Dani, I can’t” Grace whispered, almost inaudible. Her lips were tinged blue and she was shivering. Grace could feel the heaviness in her body again and she longed to return to the quiet where it didn’t hurt anymore, and she let her body relax as it pulled her towards darkness.

Dani started to shake her head again “yes you can!!” she said almost as a mantra, tears running down her face as another memory flashed before her eyes. Of another Grace, asking her to do the unthinkable. Dani shook her head and focused on her lover. Stroking her cheek until Grace’s pain filled eyes focused briefly on her.

“Dani …” Grace started to say something but her breath caught in her mouth as a blinding pain ripped through her body. She grit her teeth as her body involuntarily tried to arch against the restraints keeping her on the stretcher.

“Grace!” Dani’s despair switched to terror as her partner gasped through the pain wracking her body. “What’s happening?” Dani asked Specialist Romano, desperation clear in her voice.

“Fatality protocol” The Stephanie said hastily as she signalled the dragonfly above “we have to move her Commander”

Dani nodded and together they attached themselves to the winch along with the stretcher.

“Go go go!” the medic called out through her radio. And they immediately began their ascent into the aircraft.

Grace couldn’t breathe, her lungs strained for air but wouldn’t move, as though her diaphragm had turned to stone. Her limbs began to tingle and the cold sensation all but consumed her. She switched her retina display back on to find a large red “2%” symbol flashing before her eyes. ‘Shutdown imminent’ scrolled below.

The microprocessor in her brain was beginning the fatality protocol. It would self-destruct by emitting a strong thirty second current, frying the memory and making the chip unusable afterwards. Because of the chip’s proximity to the sensory and motor areas of her brain, the electrical surge not only caused acute brain trauma, it also caused an acute burst of body wide muscle rigidity, and general sensory malfunction.

Grace’s retina display flickered and stuttered before her eyes. She turned it off again and focused on Dani, wanting the beautiful Commander to be the last thing she saw. A calmness overtook her as she looked into the deep brown eyes of the woman she loved.

Dani knew what the fatality protocol was, she knew its’ purpose was to protect the Resistance, she had approved it under the strict condition that it was painless. Obviously, this was true only when the recipient of the chip was in fact dead.

She had never been witness to its’ effect, had never in her darkest dreams expected that the first time she did, it would be Grace.

“Override it!” she ordered the medic

“I can’t from here Commander” she said helplessly

Dani yelled into her radio “Evelyn!”

Evelyn had disabled the fatality protocol as soon as she saw it appear on Grace’s monitor, before Dani had even radioed her, but it didn’t stop the initial surge of electricity coursing through Grace’s neurons.

“I switched it off Dani, I got to it as soon as it initiated!” She yelled back

Dani sighed with relief but watched as Grace’s body continued to lightly seize. There was nothing they could do but wait for the current to fade.

The ride to the troop carrier seemed to take minutes instead of seconds, and Dani knew she was watching Grace die before her eyes but the only thing she could do was keep talking to her.

“Grace! Please. Just hold on!” She looked up and saw that they were almost there. The hand in hers became slack and she looked back down just in time to see Grace’s eyes flicker closed.

“No! Grace!” She yelled and tried to lunge against the cables holding her to the winch. Her ears began to ring and her vision became a blur. She could feel the commotion around her, but she had no sense of time or place. _‘Grace’_ With the unspoken name in her ears her vision snapped back, she was inside the dragonfly, and she watched in mild horror as Private Romano fed a plastic tube onto Grace’s throat while another medic undid the straps and worked to lift the tactical vest of Grace’s body and cut through her tattered shirt to expose her torso and chest.

Together they performed CPR on the unresponsive soldier. The monitor above them indicating no pulse after several minutes.

“Epi!” The medic at her chest called out, receiving a syringe a moment later which he fed into the cannula in Grace’s leg. They continued chest compressions and ventilations for several more minutes, before the male medic again called out for more epinephrine and again fed it into the cannula, but instead of returning to chest compressions, the medic grabbed the defib kit and lifted the paddles waiting for them to charge.

Wordlessly, they rolled her body to its side and pulled a non-conductive body board underneath the prone soldier. Because Grace had received through and through injuries, her body needed to be shielded from the metal surface of the aircraft, just in case any exposed metallic augments came into contact with it during the electrical charge.

“Clear!” he called out and Specialist Romano immediately lifted her hands up and away. A second later Grace’s body arched against the current and slammed back down onto the hard board on the floor of the troop carrier. The medic went back to ventilations as they all silently watched the monitor above their heads.

Dani’s heart sank as the flat green line remained so.

“Charging” rang the deep voice from the medic as he held the paddles up again for a few seconds before bringing them back to Grace’s chest.

“Clear!” and again Grace’s body lurched against the paddles and back against the metal floor with a soft thud.

The heart monitor showed no activity, and the process was repeated a third time.

The ringing began again in Dani’s ears, and she could taste bile in the back of her throat. She watched her lovers very frail body arch against the electrical current and as the medic lifted the paddles away, she scooted forward and grabbed Grace’s hand, praying for her to respond. Grace’s face, chest and arms were frighteningly pale, almost bluish grey, her skin was covered in a fine sheen of cold sweat, and the catastrophic damage done to her torso hidden mostly behind the clotting bandages, was still evident by the red discolouration of the bandages. Dani tried to tell herself that the deathly colour of her skin was from the metallic mesh laying just below the surface, but the cold hand in hers said otherwise.

Finally, after a fourth attempt at defibrillation the green line jumped and dipped once … twice, and finally it picked up rhythm. Slow and weak, but a rhythm, nonetheless. Dani let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and began to cry softly as relief waged its war with fear inside her heart.

“Three minutes out from the south tunnel entrance, trauma crew standing by” the pilot radioed into the cabin.

Dani watched quietly as the medics continued to do their best to keep Grace alive. Pushing blood into her veins, and pumping oxygen into her lungs.

In a blur of activity they landed and were immediately greeted by several members of the trauma crew and Dr Yeo who seemed to be carrying a portable power source which Dani recognised from her time in the augmentation chambers.

As they unloaded Grace’s body onto a stretcher, Dr Yeo jumped onto the bed, straddling Grace’s prone body, and began inserting two probes into her abdomen. Specialist Romano continued to ventilate air into Grace’s lungs, and together the team rushed through the entrance to the tunnel.

Dani wasn’t aware of having moved, but somehow, she managed to stay at Grace’s side the entire way. Silently urging her to hang on as the medical team each did what they needed to do.

***

Despite being the Commander, Dani had very little sway in the trauma centre. She was not allowed to stay with Grace as she was wheeled into the operating theatre, in fact she was taken to an observation room, given a sedative, hooked up to a drip of her own, and put in an ankle brace, much to her chagrin.

A very weary and bloody Hadrell stopped by to offer a few words of comfort. “She’s a fighter Commander. If any of us can survive this, it’s Harper” he squeezed her shoulder and limped off in the direction of the Augment chamber where he was likely to spend the next day or two.

“Fucking Spec Ops” Dani thought angrily.

Evelyn came to sit with her as they waited for news. She grasped Dani’s hand and squeezed. She couldn’t bring herself to tell her friend that everything was going to be okay, she couldn’t tell her that Grace was a fighter and would pull through like William had done. She was an Augment engineer, a scientist, and she knew the odds of Grace surviving. So, she simply held Dani’s hand and offered her strength.

There was a quiet knock on the door to her room and Dani nodded to Evelyn who opened it. A man in his early 40’s walked in. Tall, dark hair and dark eyes. Dani recognised him as the second medic from the Dragonfly.

“Commander” he nodded “Uhhh” he stood awkwardly for a minute before stretching out his hand and opening it “I found this in one of the pockets in Captain Harpers vest. I thought it might be important” The tall blonde took it from his hand and, with an affirmative look from Dani, she got up and immediately left for her lab.

“Commander” the man said almost hesitantly.

“Yes Major” She answered gently, feeling his hesitation.

“You probably don’t remember me” he shifted again “But 22 years ago you and Captain Harper came to my home looking for my father’s help”

Dani sat up and her eyes widened “Mateo?!” she asked incredulously.

He nodded and smiled. “Thank you for keeping our home secure when you came back, it meant a lot to my mother”

“How is Alicia?” she asked but knew the answer as soon as she’d spoken the words.

“She passed about four years into the war”

“I’m sorry Major” she reached out and took his hand.

“Mateo is fine ma’am” he smiled back and took her hand.

“I know my Dad is dead, and I know he died protecting you, and for that I’m grateful” he smiled sadly. “My mother eventually told me what he was, but he was still my father” He looked at her earnestly, tears in his eyes. “I didn’t understand it at the time, but he taught me how to survive in a world like this” He smiled gently. 

Dani squeezed his hand and nodded through her own tears.

“I can’t pretend to know what’s happening now, I don’t know how Grace could have been an Augment back when Augments didn’t exist, so I’m going to just file that away in the same box that I keep all of Carl’s mysteries in” he squeezed her hand back.

“But I’m glad that the war didn’t take you away from each other. It was pretty clear even back then how much she loved you, and it was pretty clear today that that love is as strong as ever” he smiled and placed his other hand over hers “Have faith in that. That your love for each other will keep her here” his eyes shone with tears and Dani let hers fall.

“You’ve grown up to be an accomplished man and a gifted doctor, Mateo” she said “Carl would have been proud” she said honestly.

“And you’ve grown up to be quite the Commander, Commander” he smiled back. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go to the mess quickly before I do another run”

Dani nodded and let his hand go “Tell Bruce that I said to look after you”

Mateo stopped and a gentle smile washed over him “Bruce doesn’t need you to tell him that Commander. He looks after me just fine” and his smile doubled.

Dani couldn’t help but return the smile “Oh! So, you’re the Mateo I keep hearing about?!”

The Major nodded

“Well, tell Bruce that the three …. four of us are going to have dinner together once this is all over” she swallowed her correction, and the Major nodded before closing the door behind him.

It warmed Dani’s heart to know that he’d not only made it through the war but had become somebody of note in the Resistance. She’d never known Alicia or Mateo’s last names, never bothered to, which is why she probably never paid attention to his rise through the ranks in the medic corps.

She lay back, amazed that somehow fate had brought him, a decorated Army doctor, and Stephanie, a gifted medic to the same place to look after Grace in her most dire moment. It made her head spin, and she closed her eyes. In that moment of quiet, the sedatives took hold and she was quickly asleep.

She dipped in and out of sleep which is what she suspected the medics had wanted. Because when she was next fully conscious it was the next day and she was awake, hydrated and furious.

A full night had passed _‘What if she’s dead?! What if she died alone, while I was here sleeping!’_ She was so panicked that she almost fell out of her bed in her attempt to get up, but Evelyn was immediately by her side, to calm her, and was able to relay what information she could gather.

“She’s alive” Evelyn reassured Dani immediately, and proceeded to go into more detail as Dani listened intently.

As Dani already knew, Grace had sustained life-threatening injuries. She had pulled out her own power source to kill the Rev-9. Evelyn explained “Essentially ending the war but possibly at the cost of her own life” Grace had lost more than half of her blood supply, but luckily the human components of her body along with her microprocessor had shunted her blood flow therefore limiting the loss as much as possible, and thanks to the quick infusions performed by Specialist Romano, her volume stabilised not long after their return to the base.

But by the time they arrived at the base, her human body had become unable to support the demands placed on it, and she had stopped breathing on her own. Her heart had stopped twice, and to be honest, the trauma crew would have called time of death had it not been for the fact that they all believed Grace had essentially saved the human race, and quietly, they all knew how much she meant to the Commander.

So, Grace had been attached to an external power source, her injuries tended to surgically as the nanites wouldn’t function without the presence of the power-core, her lungs reinflated and kept on a ventilator. She had been given fluids non-stop in an effort to replace the blood she’d lost, but she was still bleeding internally form several sources which Dr Yeo was still operating on to close off. So for every litre they put in, she seemed to lose almost half of it within an hour of two, and the cycle repeated.

Dani had an uncanny sense of deja vu as Grace’s injuries were relayed to her. She was reminded of the day she awoke in the hospital to be told that Grace had volunteered to be an Augmented.

“How is she really” Dani came back to the present and asked Evelyn.

Evelyn sighed “Not good. She’s still not breathing on her own, and the external power supply is keeping her augments powered but not functional. It’s not a permanent solution and without it, she’ll succumb to her injuries in a matter of days if not hours” She held her friend’s hand tighter and continued.

“Dani, as an Augment, Grace has been able to survive massive trauma to her body. Without her Augment’s her body is simply too damaged to survive on its’ own. Even if the nanites could repair the damage done to her body today, she has no power to operate the legion technology that’s inside her, and we can’t immerse her in the Augment chamber while she’s still connected to an external power-source. She’s still losing blood almost as fast as they can give it to her”

Evelyn bowed her head sadly. “They’ve gone above and beyond what’s expected of them to keep her alive, and she doesn’t have much time left”

“So, we need to find another power source” Dani said simply, as though the solution was clear.

The doctor sighed. “Dani, it’s not like they’re just sitting in a cupboard waiting to be used. Each one takes at least eight days to make, to develop and test” she grasped Dani’s hand “You know this. We make each one by hand as each Augment goes through their surgeries, no one person knows how to put one together by themselves. We kept it manual so that Legion didn’t have schematics it could download or upload”

She sighed “I mean, I’m probably the only person who could maybe put one together, but even that would take a week, and Grace doesn’t have a week Dani”

Dani’s head dropped and she let her tears fall.

“Dani, I think you should go to her. Be with her” Evelyn said softly.

Dani clenched her jaw. “I can’t just sit here and watch her slowly die Eve” she said angrily “She just needs a fucking power source goddammit!” she practically ripped her hand out of Evelyn’s grasp “There has to be one somewhere!”

“Dani, you know each one is made specifically for the Augment it powers, we don’t keep spares laying around, for security purposes” Evelyn said and then suddenly went quiet. She shook herself out of her revere and continued “And it’s not just a power source she needs Dani” she placed her hand on Dani’s forearm “She hasn’t started breathing on her own yet, she isn’t conscious” she paused “Her body sustained massive injuries this time Dani, more than I’ve ever seen any Augment come back from”

Dani pulled away from her friend and defiantly made her way to the trauma bay to sit next to her broken lover. Deja vu again washing over her “How many times have we been here hey?” she asked her unconscious lover.

“A few too many” Dr Yeo chimed in sadly as she entered the bay and checked on the vitals on the screen,

“How much time doctor” Dani asked sadly with tears in her eyes.

Dr Yeo stopped and sat next to the Commander. Placing her hand over Dani’s which was over Grace’s.

“Honestly, we just don’t know. It could be hours. But the damage done to her body is catastrophic Commander. It isn’t something the Augment chamber can fix, and it isn’t something my scalpel can either. I’ve stopped the bleeding for now, but the injuries she sustained before she got here were just too severe”

She paused and looked seriously at the Commander, knowing the next few minutes were going to be rough

“Most Augments are pretty clear when it comes to us taking extraordinary medical measures to keep them alive. I know Grace was the same. But at the same time, I wanted to give you the change to have some time with her before we cease medical intervention.”

Dani’s head shot up “You’re just going to stop!” Dani said through clenched teeth.

Dr Yeo squeezed the Commanders’ hand “tomorrow, yes” she said quietly and stood up. “I’m sorry Commander, but it’s what’s in Captain Harper's medical file. She doesn’t want any extraordinary medical measures taken when there is little to no chance of any quality of life”

Dani shook her head; she had no idea about Grace having amended her medical directives.

“When did she change this?”

Dr Yeo looked down at her paperwork. “After the warehouse incident”

Dani was stunned. But at the same time, she knew Grace. Knew the pride she took in her physical capabilities. Knew how close she’d once come to losing them in the battle that turned her into an Augment, and again at the warehouse where she first encountered the Rev-9. So of course, it made sense that she would amend her medical directives, but she’d never mentioned it to Dani.

Dr Yeo left quietly, she had always been a woman of few words, but she genuinely cared for Captain Harper. She’d personally spent countless hours operating on her over the last several years. Overseeing her Augmentation process, repairing injuries received during training exercises, extracting the Rev-9 spear from her abdomen, helping her overcome a septic infection which had almost claimed her life. And through it all, Grace had been a genuine pleasure to treat. Always quick to smile, ready with a joke, eager to get back on her feet. She never seemed to let anything limit her. But this time it was different.

If Grace Harper were a cat, she had all but used up her 9 lives, and Dr Yeo was genuinely heartbroken to not only have to potentially stop treatment on a patient she cared for, but to be the one to sever the physical link she shared with the Commander.

***

***


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst warning ahead.

****

As the afternoon approached and Dani slowly wrapped her head around what was happening she had asked if she could clean Grace’s body. The dried blood and grime didn’t belong on Grace now, she deserved more than that.

Specialist Romano entered carrying the requested supplies a few minute later.

“If you don’t mind Commander” she said hesitantly “it would be an honour to help”

Dani nodded, unable to speak around the lump that had quickly formed in her throat.

Together the two women worked gently and efficiently.

Dani cried silent tears. This was normally a ritual she would perform with her lover after she’d returned from a mission. Washing her clean in their shower, making sure she was whole and healthy. There was just no comparison this time. Grace’s body was not whole, she wasn’t healthy, and they were in a cold, sterile hospital room instead of their warm shower. There would be no curling up in bed together afterwards. 

Together, Dani and Stephanie silently cleaned Grace’s skin. They went through several cloths and a few rounds of clean warm water, but after about half an hour Grace’s frail and unresponsive body was clean of any blood or grime that had clung to it.

“Thank you” Dani said to the young medic, wiping away her tears and taking Grace’s hand in hers again.

Specialist Romano hesitated “Commander, I don’t know if Grace ever told you about the first time she and I met?” Dani shook her head “She essentially saved my life and the lives of my father and brother. I didn’t even know her name, and as soon as she’d stabilised my family, she moved on to the next” Dani smiled, imagining Grace moving through the field as a young medic “She was my inspiration to become a medic, and as I’ve come to know her, she’s become so much more to me” Stephanie’s eyes teared up.

Dani grasped her hand.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more” she said sadly through tears.

“What?” Dani quickly stood and placed her hand under the Specialists’ chin and lifted her face to make eye contact. “You did everything you could do you hear me?” she looked Stephanie in the eyes. “If you weren’t there, Grace would have died on that cold concrete floor”

The specialist nodded again.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you or the Major properly” Dani sighed heavily “But I need you to know, that I know, you went above and beyond” She pulled the young medic into an embrace and held her until she felt her body begin to relax.

Dani released her and went back to Grace’s side, picking up her cool hand and rubbing the soft skin gently.

“Because of you, she made it here, and because she’s here, maybe she has a chance” Dani said quietly.

Specialist Romano nodded and excused herself. She had no idea what the Commander meant by Grace having a chance. Dr Yeo had told her to prepare for cessation of life procedures the next morning.

***

Evelyn came to be with Dani that night, she didn’t want her friend to be alone. The night passed slowly as they sat together in near silence. Dani didn’t have it in her to pass the time talking about the battle or the war or the submarine strikes. Truth be told, nor did Evelyn.

So the two friends sat at Grace’s side quietly, willing her improve over the next few hours.

Dani spent the night, gently massaging Grace’s long limbs, holding her hand, or resting her head resting on Grace’s hip. She was doing just that and telling her about Oatmeal’s latest antics when the door to the room opened the next morning and Dr Yeo and Specialist Romano walked in.

Dani jumped up and held out her hand “no!”

“Dani” Evelyn stood up and tried to embrace her friend. It made her sick to see Dani so broken, but she knew this had to be done.

“Commander” Dr Yeo said sternly, and Dani crumpled back onto the chair. Her head in her hands. She’d been quietly preparing for this all night, but how could you ever really prepare.

Dr Yeo nodded to the medic and Specialist Romano reached for Grace’s breathing tube, beginning to disconnect it. Grace would eventually cease breathing, and within a minute or two her heart would stop, and she would be pronounced dead. It made Specialist Romano sick to her stomach, but she also recognised it as a part of her job as a medic. Not everyone made it, and just because you cared for them, didn’t give you an excuse to bow out from the hard parts.

Dani reached out and gripped the medics wrist “Please! just give us a few more days” Dani pleaded with the Doctor.

Dr Yeo took a deep breath and looked at the clock. “Commander, Grace’s instructions were clear, and we have already bent them quite substantially” she looked the Commander in the eyes and saw the fire behind them. “I’m sorry Commander. We need to abide by Grace’s wishes”

Dani, knowing she couldn’t fight them grabbed Grace’s hand and laid her forehead on the edge of the bed. Tears falling as she heard the breathing tube get disconnected from the ventilator and felt Grace’s chest stop rising and falling.

Dani closed her eyes and tried to drown out the sound of the monitors. “This isn’t happening” she trembled “You’re going to be okay” she rubbed her partners arm “just wake up okay”

Dr Yeo quickly turned the machines on silent, nobody wanted to hear the long uninterrupted beep that signalled Grace’s heart had stopped pumping.

“Time of death oh-seven-twenty” Dr Yeo declared sadly.

Evelyn let her tears come. She grieved for her friend.

“Just wake up mi amor” Dani whispered again.

Evelyn looked at Dr Yeo who nodded then she bent down and held Dani’s shoulders.

“Dani, they need to take her way now okay”

“No!” Dani almost screamed.

“Dani” she hugged her friend tightly despite her struggles. “Dani” she started to move her friend from the room “Let them do what they need to”

With that she nodded again at Dr Yeo who pulled Grace’s bed out of the bay and down the hall with Specialist Romano’s help

“Where. Where are they taking her?” Dani asked in a haze.

“Shhh” Evelyn cajoled. “It will be okay Dani”

And with that Dani seemed to break, she dropped into the closest seat and simply stared at the floor. Silent tears ran down her face, but Evelyn could feel the silent rage build inside her friend. A rage that would swing to grief and back to rage, but from the outside, Dani remained still and quiet. Staring at the floor, letting her tears fall.

Evelyn left her friend for a few minutes, telling her she was going to get her some water.

Dani just sat, she wasn’t aware how long her friend had been gone but Evelyn soon appeared at Dani’s side again and offered her the cup. Dani drank from it silently, and Evelyn again placed her hand over Dani’s in silent support. 

Specialist Romano, tears in her own eyes, approached and handed Evelyn a couple pills which she easily managed to get Dani to take.

It was as though Dani’s body was present, but her mind was elsewhere. She nodded at Evelyn and returned to be with Dr Yeo and Grace’s body.

Evelyn was afraid her friend was on the edge of a psychological break, which wouldn’t be unfounded given everything she’d gone through. But the Resistance needed their Commander in the coming days and weeks, so she would do everything she could to support her friend through this, even if that meant surreptitiously drugging her so she would sleep properly for the first time in days.

As Dani started to tip forward Evelyn caught her. With the help of another medic they got her onto a gurney and took her to a quiet private room. The medic attached a fluid IV and kept a small dose of sedatives running so that she would sleep uninterrupted.

Dani had been running on the verge of exhaustion for days. She hadn’t slept or eaten properly, and she was dehydrated.

She might be emotionally broken and angry when she woke up, but she’d be in physically better condition.

***

The next day the curly haired doctor was in the Augment chamber, observing the vitals on display on all the screens when she turned from the one she had been standing next to, to the tank holding William and her heart jumped in a good way.

He was conscious and obviously healing fast.

She placed her hand to the glass, and he did the same. He spoke through his oxygen mask and his voice came through the small speaker above her head.

“How are you love?

She pressed the button which would allow her to communicate with him

“I’m glad you’re okay” she smiled. “My heart is breaking for Dani though” she said sadly.

“I know sweetheart, but it will all be okay in the end, you’ll see”

Evelyn blushed. He’d never used that endearment with her before. He laughed as much as his mask would allow him to.

“Oh sweetheart. When I get out of here, I fully intend on letting you make an honest man out of me”

She thought about it for a moment and pushed the button “I look forward to it Major” her smile wide and bright despite the heaviness in her heart.

***

When Dani woke, it was the two days later, she was in a bed which wasn’t hers and she could feel the hole in her stomach before her brain caught up and everything came flooding back.

She turned over and curled herself into a ball, she pushed her face into the pillow and screamed into it until a soft touch on her shoulder jolted her upright.

Evelyn wrapped her in her arms and let her cry until she literally couldn’t cry any more. Dani spoke into her friend’s embrace “It’s all real isn’t it?” the blonde woman nodded, and Dani took a deep stuttered breath. She knew she had to lock away her grief somehow, just for a little while until it was safe to start to unpack it. Not that she felt it would ever be safe to unpack it.

What she felt now was heavier and deeper than any loss she could remember feeling before.

Diego, her father, even the Grace from her past, even Sarah. Their losses had crippled her, but she felt that if she let herself feel this one, she might never breath again.

So again, she let her silent tears flow and she bundled up everything she felt and put it in a box for another time. Whether she grieved for Grace now or later didn’t change the fact that Grace was dead, and the Resistance needed guidance now.

She had to be the Commander for just a little bit longer.

***

Three days later Evelyn was elbow deep in critical research. She had just cracked a vital piece of intelligence which Grace had thankfully saved on the hard drive. She yelped into the empty room, and quickly sent off a message to Hadrell and Torez, asking for a meeting in the morning.

She sat back heavily in her chair. If Grace hadn’t managed to do what she did, to store the information, the results for the Resistance would have been devastating. She sobered as she thought of Dani, under heavy guard, and still under heavy sedation in the hospital, due to be discharged tomorrow.

She let out a deep sigh. Her shoulders felt like they weighed a tonne, and she groaned as she tried to roll some of the tension out of them.

“Can I help with that” William spoke quietly as he walked through the door to the research room.

Evelyn immediately smiled as his strong fingers worked away at her shoulders, releasing days of built up tension.

Evelyn groaned in pleasure as he found a particularly tender knot. She groaned again as she felt it release under his gentle but firm pressure. His hands stilled.

“Woman, you need to stop making those noises”

Evelyn laughed and stood up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. She had been needing to connect with him for days, with Dani’s loss so close, she needed some way of feeling his very much alive body against hers. But William had been in the tank and then in briefings. This was the first time she’d seen him and she knew she needed to be with him, like this, to reconnect physically, to feel alive.

“Or else” she said seductively and pushed her pelvis into his.

He quirked an eyebrow and smiled wickedly. He lifted her to the desk and moved between her legs. She quickly undid his pants and pulled them down. Taking his cock in her hands and stroking it, enjoying the warmth and softness of it. She kissed him deeply as he quickly grew hard in her hands.

William closed his eyes and let himself be held. Evelyn expertly stroked him until he was groaning, his cock hard and ready.

Evelyn had wanted this for days and she knew it wouldn’t take her long once they started, so she was happy to take this slowly and pleasure him for a while. But as soon as she felt his hips pick up, she guided him inside of her and she moaned her pleasure.

She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and let him take over the pace. His thrusts long and slow just as she’d been doing to him with her hand.

“je t’aime William” She whispered. She hadn’t meant to say it right now, but the last few days had made her realise that nothing was ever guaranteed, and you had to do and say things when you meant them.

Hadrell never stopped his thrusting and never paused “I love you too Evelyn” he hugged her close and lifted them both, taking them toward the sofa and laying them along its length.

He continued his long slow thrusts and Evelyn felt her orgasm slowly build. He kept eye contact with her even as his orgasm took hold and as she tipped over the edge with him she grabbed his rough face and kissed him, tears of happiness running down her face.

“Are you okay love” he asked slightly worried.

She nodded but didn’t say anything, she just held him close and enjoyed the feel of him on top of her and inside her. If she let him. He could become her world. 

Her hips started to rock again, and she pushed him back into a seated position against the sofa. She straddled his hips and lowered herself back onto his hard cock.

“Evelyn” he grunted, his hips rocking at the welcome invitation.

“Shh” She kissed him again and reached behind him, grabbing onto the back of the sofa to give herself leverage.

Her hips began rocking back and forth, her clit scraping against his pubic bone in a wonderful way.

“Love” he grunted “I’m not going to last long”

She smiled and kissed him through his second orgasm but continued to rock, her clit rubbing harshly against him with each stroke.

He remained hard inside her but as he realised what stimulation she needed he lifted her off him and quickly swapped positions. He put himself on the ground between her legs and immediately drew her clit into his mouth.

She moaned her approval, and he inserted two fingers inside her, he received another moan. So, he continued. Stroking her inner walls on smooth long thrusts, and sucking harshly on her clit, pulling it between his lips and running his tongue against it.

Evelyn grabbed his head and pulled it closer to her, so he doubled his ministrations to her clit.

“Yesss!” she moaned as she orgasmed, and her legs clamped harshly around his head.

He didn’t let go of her clit until she relaxed her legs, and even then, he continued with soft soothing strokes of her folds.

“Come up here” She pulled at his shoulders and he immediately joined her.

She pushed him down against the sofa, and she placed her smaller body on top of his.

“Am I hurting you at all?” She asked

And he laughed out loud, squeezing the woman in his arms as though his life depended on it.

He kissed the crown of her head and answered honestly.

“You are the softest blanket I could ever ask for love”

She sighed and let the sound of his steady heartbeat lull her to sleep.

The soothing weight of her on top of him soon pulled him into slumber.

This is how Torez found them when she entered the Observation room an hour later. She smiled at the image they made and quietly backed out of the room. Standing guard just outside the door in-case any lab techs decided to show up.

Her friends deserved this happiness, but with it came a wave of sadness for Dani as she crouched on the floor and let the tears come again. Torez had loved Grace for the days they had spent together and loved her as a friend ever since. But she and the Commander had something rare and it broke her heart to imagine what Dani was going through.

***

It had only been two weeks since the mission, since Grace’s death, but Dani couldn’t remember any particular day in its’ entirety. She’d been running on adrenaline, denial, medication, and anger since she woke up in the hospital bed.

The days passed in a blur and after several recon missions had returned no unusual intel, Dani was under increasing pressure from the Committee to declare the war over.

So, on the third week after the mission she took a deep breath and turned on the national broadcasting channel.

In a short but moving speech she paid tribute to the soldiers past and present who lost their lives in the 20 year war against legion, and those especially who made the ultimate sacrifice during that last mission three weeks ago, making special mention of Captain Montaine and his team who would go down in history as the soldiers that took out the neural-net. She made special mention of the bravery, dedication, and skill of both Major Hadrell and Captain Harper who took down the TD chambers, Captain Harper sacrificing her life to do so. She thanked every medic, every pilot, every private and scientist who worked on the mission to see it to its’ success. She then paid special thanks to the two Submarine crews who took extraordinary risks to ensure the permanent destruction of both the Alaska and Patagonia Legion strongholds. She then made special mention of the Settlements who had kept them stocked and fed during the war, and she thanked the parents and teachers who’s job it was now to raise a generation into a world free from war. She announced a weekend of celebrations the coming weekend where she and the remaining mission members would fly to each of the four settlements to meet with as many people as they could.

Dani ended the radio transmission and sat back heavily in her chair.

It didn’t seem right that the world was slowly shifting into its’ new normal, and Grace wasn’t by her side to share it.

There was a gentle knock on her door and she answered “come in”

Evelyn stepped inside carrying some juice and a sandwich from the mess. She knew her friend was spending almost every night in her office, and wasn’t getting nearly enough sleep or food, so she thought she’d bring some to her.

Dani smiled in gratitude and took a bite of the sandwich.

“That was a wonderful speech” Evelyn said honestly.

Dani shrugged her shoulders. “It was the truth”

“Not quite” Evelyn smiled gently “You took out that first TD chamber Dani, you organised the nuclear attacks on the strongholds, YOU saved the Resistance”

Dani sighed wearily and shrugged her shoulders. She honestly couldn’t bring herself to care enough to take credit for any of it. 22 years was a long time to fight a war, and in her darker hours, she could see how Sarah had become the woman she was; brutal, cold, almost cruel.

A life-time of loss would make anyone lose their humanity, and with Grace gone, and the weight of the last couple decades hanging heavily over her, she felt that hers could easily slip away too if she let it.

Evelyn saw the hopelessness and rage in her friends’ eyes and reached across the desk and took Dani’s hand. “Dani, why don’t you come stay with me for a few days. You need to get some rest and you need to eat. Let me take care of you for a little while, Please? I’m worried about you”

Dani looked at her friend and smiled softly. “I need to be here Evelyn. Something could change” she paused “I have this feeling in my gut that there’s something we haven’t caught” and continued quietly “And” she swallowed “I just can’t be in my quarters alone anymore.” Whenever she went to her quarters all she felt was Grace’s presence, all she smelt was Grace. So, she spent her time between her office, the briefing rooms, and the reconnaissance teams.

Evelyn took in her friend and her heart clenched. She’d lost weight over the last three weeks, weight she didn’t have to lose in the first place. There were dark circles under her eyes, eyes which always appeared either full of rage or full of defeat. She was genuinely afraid that Dani might harm herself if she could muster the desire to care enough to do it. 

“Dani, _s’il vous plait_ , come sleep in my quarters when you’re not here. I can make sure you’re at least getting some decent rest and some food while you’re with me.”

Dani opened her mouth to say no but Evelyn quickly butted in “Grace would want you to look after yourself” she pushed.

“Not fair” Dani choked through teary eyes and acquiesced.

***

Within days what remained of the strike team, Hadrell, Torez, Romano, Kahn, Gomez, the off-site observation team including Evelyn, Spencer and Amir, the onsite support crew of technicians and scouts, the two small submarine crews, and of course, the Commander boarded two Dragonflies and headed out to each of the four settlements.

Dani wanted Seattle to be last so she could quietly and personally scatter Grace’s ashes in the bay she’d talked so much about.

Each settlement visit went similarly, a quick official briefing with the settlement leaders and Committee members, then a public ceremony where Dani would again thank that particular settlement for their contribution to the war efforts, she paid tribute in name to each settlement member lost over the years, and she again paid special tribute to the entire strike force both present and missing who ensured Legion would never again pose a threat to humanity.

A bugler would play the last post, and a minutes silence would be held after which Dani would again declare the war over and they would distribute some of the national stockpile of fresh meat, produce, wine, whisky and beer to go toward celebrating the afternoon or the evening away.

The Commander’s team allowed two days to complete the four stops. Each appearance allotted a mere 6 hours to allow for adequate rest and travel time between, but still it felt like a marathon.

Dani managed to keep her composure during each gruelling settlement appearance, but as soon as it was over, she would retreat to the quarters assigned to her and sit in silence until Evelyn would pop her head in and indicate it was time to depart for the next settlement.

The tall doctor kept a close eye on her friend. She was retreating more and more inside herself. Letting her Commander persona take over while she grappled with the grief she so desperately didn’t want to let out of the box she’d put it in.

The whole crew felt Grace’s absence, so she could only assume how amplified that absence was for the Commander.

 _‘Soon’_ she thought. Soon the settlement tour would be over, and things could begin returning to normal.

On the afternoon of Sunday, they landed in Seattle and immediately Dani felt a shift inside her. This was Grace’s home for over 10 years. It’s where she got her GED, where she became a teacher and later a medic. Dani swallowed hard as she disembarked. She felt a similar shift in the team around her. Evelyn, Torez, Kahn and Hadrell seemed to close ranks around her, which she was grateful for.

The podium appearance played out just as all the others had, but this time, as she read out the names of the Settlement members who had passed over the years, she stumbled when she got to Grace’s name, she lost her breath for a moment and her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She hadn’t spoken Grace’s name out loud since she couldn’t remember when, and having just done so now, in front of people Grace had likely known, ripped a small hole open in that box she had held her grief locked up in.

During the last post she let herself cry silent tears, and again all through the minutes silence. And as soon as she was inside her quarters she fell to her knees and clutched at her chest and finally let some of that grief out, she screamed impotently as her fists came down against the floor over and over again. As her grief swung between rage and sorrow as it so often did, she found herself pulling her sidearm out and holding it in her hands, wondering if it would just be easier. The war was over, and she didn’t want to live in a world where Grace didn’t exist.

Her hand started to tremble and she lay the firearm down on the floor, imagining Grace asking her to be strong, to keep going. So she sat back and cried, letting small fragments of her grief out so they wouldn’t overwhelm her. She wasn’t sure how long she sat on the floor crying, but Evelyn’s presence to announce dinner probably meant that it had been at least a couple hours.

“I’m a bit of a mess” she sniffed and wiped at her face. Quickly picking up her firearm and holstering it.

“It’s okay” Evelyn smiled kindly and sat next to her friend, embracing her and letting her cry some more until Dani eventually took a deep cleansing breath and lifted her head up.

Evelyn’s heart had leapt when she saw Dani’s gun on the floor. She was genuinely afraid for her friend, but somehow, the Dani she held this very moment felt stronger, more resolved, and she hoped that her intuition was correct.

Evelyn kissed her friend gently on her cheek and stood up, helped Dani into fresh clothes and made a quick detour to the bathroom to help clean her up a bit, and together headed to the community hall where the nights feast had been prepared. Tonight, being the last one on the schedule, was predicted to be the rowdiest. All touring members given leave to attend and partake in the food and drink available.

Soldiers being soldiers didn’t hold back when given the opportunity to celebrate, and soon the hall was full of raucous laughter, boisterous war stories, and a toast every few minutes to the Commander and her crew.

Dani couldn’t help but be slightly infected by the mood and partook in approximately every fourth toast in her honour. Still, by the time dinner was served she was feeling pretty inebriated.

She looked at her dining companions who seemed quite attentive and far more sober than her and wondered if she shouldn’t slow down.

Evelyn straightened in her seat and Hadrell quietly excused himself.

“Everything okay?” Dani asked.

Evelyn nodded “Oiu, I asked William to get me something from our quarters” she said with a smile.

Dani nodded. She turned to her other side and addressed Specialist Romano “how does it feel to be back?

Stephanie sighed and nodded “It’s been really nice to see my mother and my brothers and some of my old friends” she paused “But to be honest, Arizona has become more of a home to me recently” she smiled at the Commander with sad eyes and Dani had to look away.

Torez cleared her throat and excused herself saying she was going to get some much-needed rack time and Dani bid her a good night, watching the tall soldier exit the hall, wondering what Grace’s loss meant to her.

She then looked out over the hall and wondered just how many people here had known Grace, how many lives had she had touched here? How many had simply forgotten her?

She blew out a deep breath and drank deeply from her glass. Although she herself had no personal ties to Seattle, just being here was unnerving and brought up too many emotions she simply wasn’t ready to deal with. She planned on drinking until she blacked out tonight, consequences be dammed. She grinned briefly as she thought about Sarah Connor’s old habit of doing just that and made a silent toast to her old mentor as she downed another mouthful.

Her thoughts started turning back to Grace the more inebriated she got. She remembered walking into that science class all those years ago, watching a younger Grace, full of excitement and happiness. She remembered hearing her laughter for the first time, and she choked back a sob. That was nine years ago. It took nine years for Dani to turn that beautiful, bright, joyful, healthy, happy science teacher into a cold corpse. She took another long drink and seethed, disgusted with her inability to keep one simple promise.

She felt Evelyn’s hand wrap around hers and immediately she calmed, her anger left and she let her head drop as a few more tears spilled out. _’Is this what it’s going to be like? Swinging between grief and rage and back again?’_ She sighed again and squeezed her friends’ hand.

As the dinner came close to an end, a woman in the crowd stood and raised her glass, clinking a spoon against it.

The room quietened.

“A toast” she said a raised her glass higher “To the Commander who saw us through the darkest years our world has ever seen” she raised her glass, and everyone drank.

“And to Captain Grace Harper”

Dani’s heart clenched at the sound of her lover’s name and her throat became tight. She felt Evelyn’s hand squeeze hers again and she took a breath.

“who taught our children, who helped heal our wounded, and who eventually, bravely, sacrificed herself so that we could all live”

Dani choked back a sob but raised her glass as they drank to Grace.

“Commander” the woman spoke quietly directly to Dani. “Captain Harper saved my daughters' life many years ago during a HK attack, and she wanted to give you a memento in Grace’s honour if that would be okay?”

Dani nodded but couldn’t speak. Evelyn kept her hand firmly in Dani’s as a slim, slightly nervous looking, brown eyed teenager rose. She carried a wooden box resembling a cigar box in her hands and made her way to the Commanders table.

Despite her nervousness, she kept eye contact with the Commander, and the room became quiet.

The girl held out the box and Dani took it from her.

She looked at the inscription on the lid, in beautiful calligraphy the words were etched.

_Captain Grace Harper_

_August 24th, 2008 – August 20th, 2042_

Dani ran her hand over the inscription and let a tear fall, she took a deep breath and opened the box, her heart thudding.

For a second her mind couldn’t make sense of the contents. It was an Augment power-source. Dani closed the box in horror and threw it across the table. Grace’s power-source.

She immediately felt the bile rise in her throat and looked at the young girl whose face was now smiling.

Grace’s power source … which meant … there were more …. which meant ….

Her body reacted before her brain could focus, muscle memory made her reach for her firearm and before she knew it, she’d let a round off into the girls’ head before anyone around her could react.

Another shot rang out from behind them and Evelyn and Stephanie immediately pulled the Commander to the ground and covered her as two more shots rang out from outside the hall, and one more from somewhere within the hall. Dani tried to get out from underneath the weight of her friends, but they held her firmly in place until Hadrell’s voice rang out.

“Clear”

“What the fuck!” Dani stood up and looked at the scene around her. She caught a glimpse of the wooden box containing Grace’s power source and felt immediately sick again, she picked it up and screamed as she threw it as far across the room as possible before turning and shooting ineffective rounds into the cold metal body on the ground, her scream continued until her chamber was empty and she panted in anger. She took a step to the side and dropped to her knees, emptying the contents of her stomach out onto the ground.

Evelyn came and helped her up and she walked closer to the girl and looked over at the girl’s ‘mother’ who was splayed on top of the table in a similar state.

“Rev’s?!” she yelled incredulously

Hadrell walked back inside the hall dragging a larger, but just as dead heap of metal along with him. He threw it alongside the girl near the table.

“Three of them Commander”

“But how?” She shook her head “our intel said ten, and we killed ten”

“We got new intel suggesting a hive of three which had infiltrated the Seattle settlement”

“What intel” she asked incredulously. “I didn’t read anything about this”.

“Our intel suggested that this hive was a fall-back. They were to infiltrate the Resistance mainframe, essentially giving Legion a second chance” she paused “and they were to assassinate you”

Dani clenched her teeth “I’ll ask again. Where the fuck did this intel come from and why wasn’t I told”

“We couldn’t tell you Commander, your vitals, your behaviour, the celebration, the memorials, all of it had to be as real and as natural as possible otherwise the Revs would have known we were onto them” Evelyn said calmly, keeping her hand on her friends back.

“But how did you know about them” Dani almost shouted “who gave us this intel”

“I did” a gentle voice came from the back of the hall.

Dani’s breath caught in her chest, and she immediately burst into tears and lost her footing, falling to her knees. Her heart had already told her what her eyes had yet to confirm _‘Grace!’_

_***_


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so we come to the end.  
> It wouldn't be right not to finish of with a little more plot a little more PWP.  
> Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me.
> 
> Please let me know if you liked the characters enough for me to potentially make their story into a series.

From the back of the hall, the tall figure quickly moved forward, removing their vest, helmet, and balaclava within seconds.

“Grace!” Dani cried out as the taller women scooped Dani up and held her tightly in her arms.

Dani’s brain was asking question after question, but her body simply drank in the feel and the scent of the woman she’d been mourning. She was solid, and warm, and breathing, and she was real.

Torez joined the small group at the table, having cleared out hall and pulled her kill, the mother of the group off the table and onto the heap at the floor.

Hadrell spoke quickly “We have a small patrol out just in-case there were more than three, but I have every confidence in the source of our intel” he smiled broadly at his friend.

Grace put Dani back down but didn’t let go of her hand as she sat her down and tried to explain what had happened.

“Dani, when I pushed my power source into that Rev-9 at the dam, there was some kind of power transference. His spear was still inside of me, and my microprocessor was still functioning, so I didn’t know it at the time, but there was some data that it had inadvertently transferred to me. I could see schematics and images but I couldn’t make sense of any of it” she sighed “I made a copy of what was transferred to me and put it in the pocket of my vest hoping somebody would find it”

Dani swallowed hard, knowing this is where soldiers often left letters or mementoes for their loved ones just in case they went down in battle.

“The Major” Dani looked at Evelyn who nodded. “He found the drive in your vest”

“And I deciphered the data with a little bit of help” Evelyn said and looked at Grace.

“But I saw you die” Dani said through teary eyes, cupping her lovers face.

Grace looked at the ground.

“You did” Grace said sadly. “Evelyn didn’t know if the information transfer went two ways. So, my death had to look real, your reaction to my death had to look real, and the tour of the settlements had to look real”

Dani shook her head slowly. “I don’t understand”

Evelyn suggested that they clear a table and open a bottle.

“It’s a log story, and each of us have parts to tell” Dani smiled as anther familiar voice entered the hall.

“Dr Yeo” Dani stood up and embraced the doctor.

“Commander” she nodded and took a seat at the table.

“Okay, from the beginning” Dani commanded in the best Commanders voice she could muster, all the while making sure her hand remained in Grace’s, as though this might all be some alcohol induced dream and she’d wake up from it soon.

And the table broke out in a retelling of the events that transpired, sometimes in first person, sometimes as observations, sometimes as a monologue, but over a bottle of whisky and a couple hours Dani was filled in by everyone at the table.

***

_Dr Yeo and Stephanie wheeled Grace’s dead body into the Augment chamber as requested by Evelyn in private, but they had no idea for what reason. Grace was dead, she didn’t need the Augment chamber._

_The door swung open a second later and Evelyn, red faced and out of breath ran into the room holding two charts._

_“I have two, two Augments who died at the dam two days ago, McCormack and Taylor, but who sustained no damage to their power-cores. I’m having them both brought up to theatre now Dr Yeo” she handed the stunned doctor the charts “You’ll need to decide who to operate on” she smiled triumphantly. “I’ve already done the preliminary tests, and both sources are viable and physical matches for Grace’s cradle.”_

_Dr Yeo and Stephanie continued to look at her in stunned silence before Stephanie quickly started to manually ventilate Grace, and Dr Yeo began chest compressions. She’d been clinically dead for several minutes, so it was imperative they kept the oxygen and blood flowing through her body just in-case what Evelyn was telling them was true._

_“Can this even work?” Stephanie asked Dr Yeo who didn’t answer._

_Evelyn continued in a hurry “I know Grace had pretty clear medical directives, but in this case I know she’d want us to do this” she took a quick breath and sped ahead “Grace stored some pretty critical information on a disc before she died and I think if we can bring her back, I think she can help us decipher it a bit better, it’s jumbled up with her own RD information so it’s hard to tell what part of the information is hers and what is Legions, but if what I’ve managed to decipher is correct … the war isn’t over yet. All she needs is a power-source, and, thanks to Dani, I remembered that we actually did have a couple we might be able to use”_

_Evelyn took a quick breath “But it is imperative that the Commander doesn’t know about this, at least until we can verify the intel, her life could be in danger” she scoffed, it was always in danger ”even more danger than usual”_

_“Well fuck me” Private Romano swore and sat down heavily after attaching Grace to a ventilator. Everyone turned to the normally softly spoken medic and she ducked her head._

_Evelyn laughed and Dr Yeo, always on the move, always having something to do, quickly got Stephanie to take over compressions and left the room with the two charts and headed to the operating theatre. But quietly she repeated the Medics exclamation ‘Well, fuck me!’_

_“Merci” Evelyn nodded quickly turned and jogged off back towards her grieving friend but not before asking the Specialist to bring her a couple sedatives as soon as she could._

_“How quickly fate can change” Stephanie spoke softly to her friend and resumed the chest compressions._

_Grace was put on a heart-lung machine to keep her ‘alive’ and within a half hour Dr Yeo extracted the most viable power source from one of the dead Augments and expertly inserted it into the cradle deep in Grace’s abdomen._

_Almost immediately her stats improved, all but her lung function._

_Evelyn, having tucked her sleeping friend into the hospital bed, quickly joined the surgical team, and looked at Dr Yeo in question “She came in basically dead Evelyn. Believe me, this is practically a miracle. With a pulse, ventilated lungs, and with the power-source in, we can try to put her in the Augment chamber and let the nanites do what they do best”._

_Evelyn nodded and thanked the doctor. She didn’t want to watch the immersion process, it always made her feel claustrophobic._

_It took Grace around 6 days in the augment chamber, in-between which she underwent two additional surgeries, and eventually she was moved into recovery, or at least what functioned as recovery in the secrecy of the sublevels of the medical unit._

_Her transplanted power-source seemed to be working perfectly, but the nanites couldn’t fix the damage the Rev-9 had done to her shoulder. He’d almost torn it completely from her body, so Dr Yeo went in and replaced Grace’s rotator cuff with a metal alloy one, grinning to herself as she closed up the incision, thinking how impressed Grace would be with her new modification when she woke up._

_The second surgery was to retrace the path the Rev-9 made through Grace’s body, to make sure no debris was left behind like last time, and that when she removed her own power-source, Grace hadn’t damaged any of the surrounding structures. Dr Yeo found a small laceration on Grace’s liver where she would have pulled her power-source out, and she cauterised it. She incised some necrotic tissue that the nanites would otherwise get rid of, and repositioned the cradle for a slightly better fit, but other than that, there was little more she could surgically do for her patient._

_“The less work we give the nanites, the less time she spends in the tank” She informed Specialist Romano._

_“She’s still not breathing on her own doctor, and she hasn’t regained consciousness” Specialist Romano sounded dejected._

_Dr Yeo turned around abruptly and placed a hand on her hip. “Okay, firstly, I need you to know that it was nothing you did or didn’t do” the Specialist looked to the floor “Captain Harper should have died out there on that cement floor at the dam! In fact, she should have died at least four times since I’ve known her, yet, she keeps pulling though. But each submersion in the tank, means that there’s been damage to her body that normal medicine just wouldn’t be able to fix” the Specialist nodded “I know it might seem hard, but you have to remember that underneath all that Legion technology, there’s still a very human body. And Grace’s has been through more than most.”_

_She placed her hand over Grace’s and the scientist in her marvelled at just how far technology had blended with medicine over the last 20 years._

_“Whether she breaths on her own again or wakes up is not up to you or me or even the nanites. Her body can only be healed so many times before the person inside it decides that they’re just too tired”_

_Private Romano almost gasped as she recalled Grace’s last words to Dani ‘let me go, I’m tired’_

_“I know it doesn’t sound scientific at all, but the patient’s will to live is just as important as anything I can do with my scalpel, or that tank can do with the nanites. Theoretically there’s no medical reason that I can find as to why she hasn’t started breathing on her own again or regained consciousness, so that leaves us with an unknown. And as scientists, unknowns make us uncomfortable. But we just need to sit with it, because from here on out, it’s essentially all up to her”_

_Every day for almost three weeks, Evelyn, Stephanie, Alicia and William took turns to visit Grace’s bedside. Tell her about inane activities occurring on the base, what they’d managed to decipher from her chip so far, and quietly asking her to wake up, that they needed her to help them save the Resistance and the Commander._

_For some unknown reason, the day Dani made the nationwide broadcast was the day Grace finally took her first unassisted breath, and by the end of the day she was conscious, coherent, and desperate to see Dani._

_Evelyn had to show Grace the information they’d retrieved from her chip in order for her to calm down and listen to reason. She barely remembered transferring the information, but as she cycled through it, she realised the importance of keeping Dani in the dark._

_“She thinks I’m dead” she said quietly, unable to comprehend what Dani would be going through, because had the roles been reversed and it was Dani that had died, she didn’t know how she’d survive it._

_She helped Evelyn work through the information on the disc. They only had a few days until the tour of the settlements began, and tactically, they knew this is when Legions plans would be put into play._

_Together they sorted through the jumble of information and discovered that almost two years ago Legion had inserted a failsafe measure to ensure its’ continuation. They had sent a team of three Rev-9’s to the Seattle base to infiltrate and assimilate until the time came where they would be activated to carry out Legions “survival protocol”_

_They would wait until the Commanders inevitable tour of the settlements, when guards would be low but plenty of Resistance technology available._

_They would insert a virus into any vehicle, computer, or electrical instrument which came from the base. Allowing Legion to implant itself again. The closed Resistance network would then be brought online by the infiltrators and Legion would exist again, quietly in the background until it was time to strike again._

_Two of the infiltrators were given the task of assassinating the Commander, while one was ordered to insert the virus while the settlement was in chaos._

_If Legions “survival protocol” succeeded, The Commander would be dead, and Legion would have risen again._

_Grace had two days to formulate a plan with Hadrell and Torez being the only two tactical member of the team she wanted in on the plan. The more people who knew, the more chance there was that either Dani would find out, or, more importantly, Legion would._

_They didn’t know if the data transfer that Grace had received went both ways, so they had to make sure that Grace’s death appeared real. Immediately after she helped Evelyn decipher the information on the disc, she was taken straight to Seattle where she rested and waited for the arrival of the Resistance tour which would arrive in a couple days._

_She’d barely been out of the hospital for two days and she knew her body needed more time, but she didn’t need her body at 100% to fire a bullet, and that’s all she was required to do. She would wait in the rafters of the community hall, identifying the Rev infiltrators along with Hadrell and Torez._

_As soon as they made a move, each of them would select one to take out._

_Using X-ray vision, Hadrell and Torez quickly identified and chose the two adults, leaving Grace with the one who seemingly offered the least resistance._

_As soon as the Male infiltrator left his seat at the table, Hadrell had followed._

_Just before the Woman stood to make her toast to the Commander, Torez had put herself into position._

_But when the young girl headed toward Dani. Grace almost panicked. She had a direct line of sight to the Rev, but Dani was at the end of that direct line. If she missed, or if the round went through the terminator, she could kill Dani. She also couldn’t see what the Rev was holding._

_The soldiers had opted not to use radio transmitters just in case the Rev’s were monitoring communication, so she kept the girl in her line of sight and waited. Praying for just the right moment._

_She saw Dani react to whatever was in the box, and immediately fire her weapon at the girl. Her heart clenched but as soon as Torez’s shot rang out taking out the woman, Grace could see Evelyn and Stephanie cover their Commander so she squeezed her trigger and the EMP round found its target perfectly. It was all over in a few seconds._

_Hadrell took two shots to take out his target but managed to do so before it had had a chance to access any vital Resistance technology._

_It was precise, it was efficient, and it was quick. Grace rappelled down from the rafters just as Dani rose up from behind the table, angry and demanding to know answers._

***

Dani took a long chug of her drink and dropped her head to the table.

“Fuck me” she whispered and the table broke out in light laughter.

She turned her head to look up at her beautiful lover “You’re really here” she questioned softly and laid a gentle hand on her thigh.

Grace lent down and kissed Dani softly “I’m really here” she wrapped her closely “And I have no plans to go anywhere”

They excitedly talked for little while longer until Grace quietly asked Dani if they might have some alone time. Her body ached and she wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to remain upright.

Dani stood up, and immediately the entire party stood with her.

“Get some sleep everyone” she said lightly. “I expect a proper debriefing on this on my desk when we get back”. There were groans around the table.

Dani quickly kissed Grace and pointed her to her quarters. “Can I meet you there in a minute or two? I just need to speak with Eve?”

Grace nodded and smiled at the two women.

Hadrell sat back down and rest his head on the table as Dani lead Evelyn to a smaller table.

Dani looked at her friend as tears pooled in her eyes “I … I don’t know how I can ever thank you” she wrapped her friend in a crushing embrace. “You brought her back to me” she said through her tears.

Evelyn smiled and crouched in front of her friend “Dani, it was you that gave me the idea. Literally!” she cupped Dani’s face “one day, we’re all going to get extremely drunk together” Dani laughed “okay, another day we’re going to all get extremely drunk together AGAIN and talk about that time our Commander lead a team into a dam, a dam which a reckless Captain insisted on surveilling using a 50 year old crop duster, and how we took down Legion in a single night. How our Commander kept a 20 year secret plan in play on which humanity’s survival hinged. We’ll toast to those we lost, we’ll toast to those who made it back, we’ll toast to Grace who ended up saving us twice! But mostly, we’ll toast to our Commander who saw us through 20 long years with persistence, determination, courage, ingenuity, humility, empathy, kindness, and perennial positivity” Evelyn wiped away Dani’s tears with her thumbs. “It was all that that made the Resistance what it was, and in the end, it was all that that made us all fight that much harder at the dam, and again tonight" she kissed Dani’s forehead “and it was all that that made you fight tooth and nail for Grace in the hospital”

Dani nodded.

“So one day we’re going to open a bottle and look back on the last months, years even, with all their wins and losses, but mostly we’ll look back on today as the day everything changed” she stood up “and hopefully” she looked to the direction of Dani’s quarters “That applies to Captain Harper too” she paused. “She’s earned a rest” then looked at Williams direction were he’d drunkenly passed out on the table they’d occupied together “They all have” She gave Dani’s shoulder one last squeeze and headed back to her lover, trying to coax him into more comfortable bedding for the night. Her footsteps feeling a million times lighter than they had weeks ago despite the heavy weight she helped lug into her quarters.

She’d been a ball of nerves for the last two days in particular, keeping Grace informed but in the background. Keeping their circle tight, knowing she could only talk about this with Grace, William, Torez, Dr Yeo, and Stephanie had fried her nerves and filled her with guilt as she watched her fried grieve Grace’s loss every day, as she watched her slip closer and closer to darkness.

But tomorrow would bring with it a new beginning. A few sore heads, but a new beginning nonetheless. She smiled brightly as William took more of his weight and followed her to their quarters.

Dani tried to shake the fuzzy feeling from her head as she made her way to her quarters. Her heart thudded hard in her chest as she put her hand on the doorknob _‘what if it was all a dream’_ her paranoia overtaking her common sense in her drunken state.

She opened the door and choked back a sob. There she was. Sitting on the edge of the bed. Obviously weary, but whole and alive. Her blue eyes bright with happiness and as she stood, Dani took in her tall, strong body.

“Dani” Grace whispered, “can I hold you?” she asked almost shyly.

Dani simply nodded through her tears and walked into Grace’s arms. She placed her ear over Grace’s chest and cried harder as she listened to the strong heartbeat under her ear.

“I’m so sorry Dani” Grace kissed the top of her head.

Dani simply shook her head and squeezed tighter. Grace inhaled sharply and Dani immediately let go and stood back, worry clear in her eyes.

“It’s okay Dani” she tried to reassure her lover. “I’ve only been out of the hospital for a few days remember” she grinned “When we get back to the base, I’m under strict orders from Dr Yeo to spend at least another day or two in the chamber, but until then, I’m okay. A little sore, a little slower, but completely okay”

Dani approached Grace quietly again and tugged on her top, removing it gently. She took in the myriad of new scars on her lovers’ body and ran her fingers over each one tenderly. She reached up to Grace’s left shoulder and ran her thumb over the still pink suture lines,

“New shoulder” Grace smiled.

Dani ran her fingers down the skin of Grace’s firm stomach, remembering what it had looked like the day of the battle. She traced the new scars tenderly.

“Dani” Grace whispered.

Dani stopped and looked up at the tall soldier in front of her.

“You’re making it hard for me to stand” she quirked a grin and Dani smiled back at her. She removed her own top and shucked her pants and underwear. Grace followed suite. But tonight, was all about Grace reassuring Dani that she was whole, and alive, and real, they spent the night simply holding each other, Dani crying softly, Grace holding her tightly, until Dani finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Grace’s quickly dosed herself and tucked Dani close, her exhausted body needing barely a minute to join Dani in sleep.

Dani woke several times through the night crying out Grace’s name or simply crying, and Grace’s heart broke each time. She could only hold her lover tightly and repeat over and over again that she was here, she was alive, and she wasn’t going anywhere until Dani eventually calmed and fell back into a light sleep.

Grace had no idea what her apparent death had done to Dani’s psyche, but she made a mental note to speak with Dr Yeo about getting a psych referral for them both when they returned to the base. Obviously, Dani had endured a pain which Grace could only imagine. And that experience couldn’t simply be erased by soothing words and a strong embrace. But those were the only tools at her disposal at the moment, so that’s what she used through the night.

She finally fell into a deep sleep just as the first rays of the sun started to peek through the curtain.

Grace woke well into the next day to the gentle touch of Dani’s fingers along her back. She smiled and stretched into the warm touch.

“I know that you know how much I love your body” Dani whispered, and immediately Grace was awake and warmer.

Dani placed tender kisses along Grace’s spine, she straddled Grace from behind and ran her hand appreciatively down Grace’s well-muscled back.

“But the things that happen to my body when I watch your arms, you shoulders” she massaged Grace’s shoulders “or your back move” she scraped blunt nails down Grace’s back and Grace’s hips involuntarily pressed down into the mattress below her “Sometimes I catch myself just watching you move and I literally lose my breath” she lay her body against Grace’s back, and Grace could feel Dani’s nipples hard against her skin and her breath quickened. “I love every part of your body Grace, every single inch of it” she emphasised as she trailed her fingers down Grace’s ribcage, over her hips and down the sides of her legs. “you literally take my breath way”

“Dani” Grace said in a warning tone. She was definitely turned on, but she wanted to make sure Dani was ready, emotionally, before they made love.

“Shhh” Dani quietened her lover.

She sat back up and gently coaxed Grace onto her back.

“So beautiful” Dani said appreciatively as she lowered herself down to kiss Grace.

It was the first passionate kiss they shared since Grace returned, and it was powerful for them both. Familiar and new and full of every emotion they’d both experienced over the last few weeks.

Grace gasped as she felt Dani’s fingers stroke her wet centre and she placed her hands gently round the small of Dani’s back.

“Dani” she tried to speak around her lovers’ ravenous mouth.

“Shhh” Dani repeated again and deepened the kiss. She entered her lover smoothly with one finger at first, revelling in the slight tremble she felt in Grace’s stomach, and in the moan captured by their kiss. She inserted another two fingers and Grace arched, rolling her hips in appreciation.

Dani kept their lips locked the entire time she slid in and out of her lover, wanting to taste every breath, to feel every quiver of muscle against her body. Grace’s hands moved to cup Dani’s ass and she placed a firm thigh between Dani’s legs. Dani rolled her hips in appreciation and pressed hard into Grace’s leg, letting Grace guide her pace.

They moved together for long moments, almost silently except for small moans which escaped through their kiss. As Grace’s back began to arch, Dani picked up the pace of her own hips against her lovers’ firm thigh.

Their orgasms came moments apart, but their lips remained locked together the entire time. Grace’s body rocked through her orgasm first and, as Dani felt Grace’s inner muscles tighten around her fingers, her own orgasm took her and she pushed hard into Grace’s body, letting her body ride it out safely in her lovers strong embrace.

Panting but still kissing softly, they came back down together. They continued kissing and lightly stroking each other’s bodies until first Dani and then Grace succumbed to sleep, neither speaking a word the whole time.

They were both awakened by a gentle knocking on the door of their quarters. Dani moaned, and Grace smiled, wrapped herself in one of the sheets and cracked the door.

Evelyn’s smile widened and she almost laughed at the image in front of her. “Bonjour Grace” She held out a platter of food and drinks.

“I figured you two probably wouldn’t come up for air voluntarily, so I wanted to make sure you’d at least stay nourished.

Grace took the platter “Thanks Eve” she smirked.

“Also, I just wanted to let you know that the last Dragonfly leaves this afternoon at sixteen-hundred and you two are expected to be on it”

“The last?” Grace questioned, confused.

Evelyn smiled again. “Grace, the first team left yesterday. It’s been almost 40 hours. We wanted to give you two some time together, but we do have important work that needs doing back at the base” She laughed out loud as Grace’s face turned red and she couldn’t maintain eye contact.

“Right, sixteen-hundred” she nodded and quickly shut the door. No wonder she felt all kinds of weak. She and Dani had spent the better part of two days asleep with no hydration and no food. Let the others assume what they wanted to, she smirked. She quickly read her RD and took another dose of her meds as a precaution. Her body wasn’t fully healed and she didn’t want to have to deal with a crash simply because she hadn’t eaten.

“Everything okay” Dani’s’ croaky voice reached her. Grace put her med gun down and picked up the tray and brought it to the bed.

“Totally fine” She smiled reassuringly. “Eve just wanted to drop off some food and let us know that the transport leaves at sixteen-hundred tonight she smiled around a mouthful of bread waiting for Dani to realise how long they’d been sequestered for.

Dani took a sip of coffee, and a bite of a sandwich before her brows furrowed and she looked at her watch.

Grace laughed out loud as a string of Spanish expletives quickly flew out of Dani’s mouth and she shot out of bed trying to find her clothes.

“Dani” she laughed and reached for her lover “Dani” she grabbed her and pulled her close “It’s okay, Evelyn has it all under control, and we’ll be back on base this evening with a pile of reports to go through no doubt” she felt Dani relax in her arms and she reached back and held up the sandwich to her. Dani took it and finished it quickly.

Grace gulped down most of the water Evelyn brought them, and a good portion of the bread, cheese, and warmed leftover meat from yesterdays dinner. She was just finishing off an apple when she heard Dani speak.

“Sixteen hundred” Dani mused quietly, looking at her watch then back up at her lover.

Grace saw the desire in Dani’s eyes and quickly looked at her watch. _‘Four hours’_ She quirked a brow and Dani pulled her back to the bed. She sat Grace at the edge of the bed and quickly straddled her lap.

She kissed her deeply, tangling one hand in her short hair while the other reached down between them.

Grace spread her legs and Dani’s fingers slowly stroked her. She placed a strong arm around her lovers back and with her other hand she found her lover’s wet centre and quickly entered it with two fingers.

Dani broke the kiss and brought her head back. Closing her eyes in pleasure.

Grace latched onto Dani’s neck and let her hips rock against her lovers’ fingers, while her own kept rhythm inside Dani.

“Grace” Dani whispered.

“Dani” Grace whispered back.

Dani began to push herself harder onto Graces fingers, and on her next downward swing, Grace inserted a third finger and Dani’s head dropped to Grace’s strong shoulder. She let Grace use her strong forearm to continue to pump her long fingers and soon Dani’s thighs began to tremble against Grace’s hips.

Grace captured Dani’s lips again just as she tipped over the edge and swallowed her moan of pleasure with a scorching kiss. She held the smaller woman firmly against her body, loving the feel of it tremble against hers as she rode out each wave.

Dani’s fingers had momentarily stilled as her orgasm consumed her, but as soon as she came back to herself she pushed Grace back down onto the bed and slid three fingers inside of her. She quickly dropped to her knees at the edge of the bed and inhaled the scent of her lover before licking through her wet folds and rubbing her tongue harshly across her swollen clit.

Grace’s stomach trembled and Dani placed a gentle hand over the quivering muscle she loved so much. She knew Grace was close when the quiver became a tightening of those muscles. When Grace’s hand came to rest lightly on Dani’s head.

“Dani” Grace moaned as her head tipped back and her back arched. A few more stokes of Dani’s tongue and Grace was writhing in pleasure, a powerful orgasm washing over her in heated waves. Dani continued pumping her fingers inside Grace and soon felt her inner walls clench around them again.

“God Grace” she whispered almost reverently as she climbed back on top of the body she loved so much and felt it move and shudder beneath her. Grace weakly pulled Dani closer to her as her body continued to ride out the last of the aftershocks.

They remained like that for long moments. Letting their heartrates and breathing come back to normal. Grace pulled them both fully onto the bed and wrapped Dani up in her arms, neither intending to fall asleep, but that’s exactly what their tired bodies did.

They awoke to Evelyn’s gentle knock on their door announcing a half hour before the Dragonfly departed. Grace groaned at having been woken by Evelyn again, and then laughed out loud because they had needed to be woken by Evelyn again.

Dani turned over and smiled at her lover for two reasons, she adored the sound of Graces laughter and she was amused that they had indeed made good use of the four hours they had. 

They got up stiffly, quickly freshened up and put on their clothes. Boarding the Dragonfly at sixteen-hundred on the dot to a warm welcome from their small crew who had become a family of sorts. Evelyn winked quickly at them both and laughed charmingly as twin blushes crept up their necks toward their cheeks.

***

When they arrived back on Base, Grace kissed Dani deeply for several minutes before heading to the Medical unit for the Augment Chamber immersion she’d promised Dr Yeo she’d return for.

In the two day’s Grace was in the tank Dani worked like a demon. Finalising reports, redirecting Committee energy toward rebuilding rather than defending. She sent out two dozen recon missions in one day to scout for any sign of any legion activity, and at the end of the two days, she officially relinquished her position as Commander.

Initially nobody accepted it, but Dani left them no choice. The war was over, and she’d spent 20 long years at the head of a giant movement of people who banded together behind her to resist and eventually overcome the enemy.

With the enemy gone, there was no need for a Resistance leader anymore. There was no need for a Resistance.

She asked Hadrell to take command of the military, and Evelyn to begin disbanding Legion research in favour of projects to rebuild and reinvent a new way of living.

Dani kept her seat on the Committee and requested a return to a democratic method of expanding and governing the Settlements but left it to the Committee members as a whole to figure out how that would play out.

She also requested a disbanding of borders. They hadn’t existed since most of humanity had perished, and she didn’t want them returning. She wasn’t exactly sure how it would all work, but they were starting with a clean slate and with all the lessons learned from before the war. She had a momentary return to her naive 20-year-old self _‘surely we can get this right’_ But then the ex-Commander in her backed her up _‘We will get it right!’_

So, when Grace woke up in recovery two days later, she really did wake up to a very different world.

“So, you’re not Commander anymore?” Grace said groggily

Dani shook her head and smiled.

“What does that mean for me?” Grace asked.

Hadrell stepped forward and handed her some paperwork. “It’s up to you Captain, but if you want to be discharged, you can do so with honours. You’ve more than earned it”

Grace lay back stunned.

“It could just be you and me and the world” Dani said as she took Grace’s hand in hers and kissed it.

“Can I think about it?” she looked at Hadrell, who had now become a General.

“Take all the time you need Captain” he winked and left the two women.

****

They’d been travelling silently for the last half hour and Grace reached out and took Dani’s hand and brought it to her lips “You’re not mad?”

Dani smiled brightly “Of course not mi amor” she looked at Grace “Six months leave is more than I had hoped for. Really. You’re a soldier, and even though we don’t have an active enemy to fight, I know that the military is a part of you” she squeezed Grace’s hand and kept driving.

Grace took Dani’s hand again, placed a quick kiss on it, leant back in her seat and dozed off. Her body was still only a few days out of the Augment chamber and needed more rest.

Dani had said they were going to be taking a few days away, and Grace had no arguments.

They set up camp the first night, out in the open. It was technically a Settlement safe zone, but still, camping for pleasure in the open was almost unheard of, and Grace loved it. They built a fire and rolled out their sleeping bags and watched the stars together.

“I have a surprise mi amor” Dani said gently as she reached under Grace’s top and ran her hands over her breasts, feeling her breathing hitch and her nipples tighten almost immediately.

“Mmm” Grace replied and pulled her smaller lover into a kiss.

“Remember that sex shop I told you about” she straddled Grace’s hips and began rocking against her pubic bone, feeling herself get wet at the thought of what she was going to do.

“Yes” Grace said under hooded eyes. Bringing her own hands up underneath Dani’s shirt, feeling the weight of her gorgeous breasts in her hands.

Well, while you were in the AC, I went back there to see if maybe there would be some new toys we could play with.

Grace moaned and pushed her pelvis against Dani’s, feeling her excitement build as she imagined what Dani had procured for them.

“Close your eyes” Dani kissed her quickly and jumped up.

Grace groaned at the lack of contact but did so.

“Keep them closed” Dani had moved back to their bedding and proceeded to remove Grace of her clothing. She gently guided Graces legs open and Grace gasped as she first felt Dani’s fingers run through her slick centre, followed slowly by a firm, long, ribbed, dildo.

“Dani” Grace gasped and arched off the blanket as it filled her.

“Shh” Dani crooned and kissed her lover passionately as she gently stroked the toy inside her lover.

“Uuughhh” Grace groaned. “Dani” she reached out to try to find her lovers hand, and Dani caught her hand and guided it to her own wet centre, letting Grace slip through her folds and insider her briefly.

Grace was so turned on. She had no idea what Dani was going to do but the unknown of it excited her.

“Lift your hips up Grace” and Grace immediately did. Feeling what seemed to be a harness slide into place around her hips. She felt a gentle tug on the toy inside of her and felt the straps around her hip tighten firmly, followed by a satisfied groan from her lover as she obviously succeeded doing what she’d intended to do.

She felt Dani straddle her again and Grace placed her hands gently on her thighs.

She needed release but she also knew that playing Dani’s game would eventually get her there, so she took a breath and tried to still her hips.

“Open your eyes Grace” Dani said seductively.

Grace looked down her body and didn’t immediately understand what she was seeing.

She watched Dani close her eyes and lower herself onto the firm shaft between her legs, and as she did, she felt the one inside her push down inside her.

“Dani” Grace whispered in awe as her lover began to rock against her, and Grace felt each dip of her hips insider her own body and her eyes opened wide. Suddenly understanding that the dildo that was inside of her, was also, somehow attached to the one her partner was currently riding. She felt herself clench hard against the shaft.

She decided to test the new toy and brought her hips firmly up as Dani’s came down and Dani’s body fell forward in pleasure. Her hands bracing themselves against Grace’s shoulders.

“Fuck” Dani moaned and kept stroking herself against the toy inside her.

Grace brough her hips up again and again felt the dildo slide inside her lover as the one inside hers pushed firmly inside her.

“God Dani” Grace breathed.

Dani smiled “You like?” and pushed her hips solidly down onto the shaft inside her, sending the one inside Grace a little deeper.

Grace nodded silently, her mouth open in pleasure but no sound escaped.

“I want you to watch me Grace” she whispered and pulled her body back up. Letting Grace see the large dildo slide in and out of her wet centre. Every stroke creating a mirrored effect inside her.

Her hands went to Dani’s breasts as she watched her dark skin flush. She massaged Dani’s breasts and squeezed her nipples while Dani continued to ride her.

Dani picked up the pace of her hips and soon Grace felt herself start to tremble.

“Dani, I’m going to come” she panted.

“Wait for me Grace” she panted back.

Grace could feel the first clenching of her orgasm so she reached down and stroked Dani’s clit with her thumb. Dani’s hips slammed down once more and they orgasmed together. Grace’s hips still rocking as her inner walls tightened around the dildo inside of her.

“Uuuugh Fuck” Dani moaned as her body continued to shake, she dropped bonelessly to her lovers’ chest and Grace continued to slide in and out of her as she rode out her own orgasm.

Grace felt like her brain had short circuited. The shaft inside of her kept sending off aftershocks each time her hips rose and she entered Dani. She felt a second orgasm building and flipped Dani underneath her, keeping them connected.

Dani’s legs immediately went around Grace’s narrow hips and Grace held herself still for a moment waiting for Dani’s orgasm to pass and for her eyes to open.

When they did Grace’s breath caught in her chest. Dani looked at her with such love and adoration she had to break eye contact and kiss her, and as their kiss deepened Dani’s hips started to move again, and Grace felt the shaft inside of her mirror her movement.

Grace held herself up on her hands and pushed her hips forward, sliding fully inside Dani. As she felt their hips connect she felt the dildo push against a sensitive spot inside her, making her pull back and surge forward again.

Grace settled herself more firmly against her lover, lowering herself to her elbows so that their skin touched at every opportunity

“Grace” Dani breathed, digging her blunt nails into Grace’s strong shoulders, urging her closer.

Grace’s hips took on a life of their own as the pressure inside her grew, she pumped her hips firmly against her lover and received a grateful moan each time.

She felt her second orgasm near and captured Dani’s lips again, wanting Dani to swallow her groan of release as her body tightened and rocked through the waves of pleasure. It only took the sound of Grace’s release for Dani to tip over the edge again and she held her lover as though her life depended on it, her inner walls contracting around the toy that was still gently moving inside of her.

Grace dropped her head to Dani’s neck and kissed the tender pulse point she loved so much. She stayed in that soft nook until her heartrate settled and she could feel her lovers’ aftershock subside.

She picked her head up and looked into Dani’s eyes.

Dani used her thumb to brush away a tear that had slipped past Grace’s lid, and Grace dipped her head down to kiss away a tear that has escaped Dani’s.

“I love you Grace” Dani said and cupped Graces head between her hands, kissing her deeply.

“Te quiero” Grace replied and Dani smiled sweetly against Graces lips.

Dani quietly unclasped the toy from around Grace’s hips and Grace gently let it slide out of herself before just as gently pulling the other end from inside her lover.

She quickly registered how the double ended toy and the new harness worked and smiled before placing them aside.

“I had no idea those were even a thing!” Grace said in mild surprise. “But I’m very glad they are” She lay back on-top of Dani and kissed her deeply.

“I though you’d enjoy it” Dani said slightly smugly and returned the kiss.

Grace braced herself on her elbows again and said earnestly. “One day” she kissed her lover quickly “You and I are going to that toy store together” she nipped at Dani’s neck and Dani laughed.

Grace pulled the sleeping bag up around them and they made out under the stars. A fact that didn’t go un-noticed by Grace and Dani again marvelled at the younger woman’s ability to absorb simple moments of joy. 

They woke early the next morning and shared a quiet breakfast. Grace could tell that Dani was a little sad and on edge when she woke, but Dani reassured her that everything was okay, kissing her when Grace opened her mouth to speak again.

They drove east for most of the day, stopping when the mood took them, stopping at various Resistance outposts along the way to say hello, and to make sure the territory was safe to travel through. They were offered an escort each time, but Dani declined politely on every occasion.

She’d invariably get back into their car and think to herself that she was travelling with the Resistance’s most lethal weapon, why would she ever need an escort. That, and the fact that the back of the fully enclosed Jeep had been well stocked with munitions and a man-hole with a 50 calibre turret mounted machine gun had been installed on the roll bar of their jeep which had been bullet-proofed before General Hadrell would even let them step foot off the base. 

Dani slept on and off through the day but as they exited Texas, she took over driving and began heading north east. Grace had no idea where they actually were, and she knew Dani wasn’t ready to share that information yet, so she leant back and let herself nap. 

Grace woke when she felt the car slow as Dani stopped the Jeep near the top of a ridge and took a deep breath.

“Where are we? Why are we stopping?” Grace asked slightly disoriented.

“There’s something I need to do” Dani said quietly as he hopped out of the car and made her way to the top of the ridge.

Grace followed her and looked out over the vista. It was beautiful, long grass and wildflowers everywhere. They stood at the top of a small range, overlooking a river below and Grace noticed what appeared to be the remains of what used to be a small dam. Long destroyed.

Dani crouched by a large stone and placed her hand over it. Grace could see a small etching in the rock and she caught her breath. _‘Connor’_ nothing else, but Grace knew immediately it was Sarah’s grave.

“Sarah made me promise to bring her here when she passed” Dani let a tear slide down her face. “She didn’t want her name mentioned or repeated as the Resistance grew, she’d fought enough fights and she wanted the Resistance to become what it became without anyone really knowing the extent of the hand she play in it all.” Dani wiped away her tears. “She thought that if nobody knew her name after Judgement Day, nobody would come back to hunt her, none of her other selves in alternate timelines would be hunted or chased, she thought that perhaps, another Sarah Connor could live a life of peace”

Grace nodded her head, struggling with the alternate timeline/time travel concepts but understanding overall. 

Dani stood and took Grace’s hand. Grace kissed the hand in hers as Dani led her closer to the top of the ridge.

“Is beautiful Dani” Grace breathed as she looked over the ridge to the river below.

Danni nodded “That’s why I chose it” she said, a tinge of sadness and a tremble in her voice. “it took Sarah and I hours to bring Grace’s body up here and dig the grave. But I wanted her to have somewhere untouched and beautiful to rest” she said as a tear slid down her cheek.

She crouched by another large unmarked rock and placed a hand over it, saying a silent prayer. She quietly removed the necklace she always wore, kissed it once, and buried it in a small hole near the makeshift headstone before standing and taking Grace’s hand.

“So” Grace asked awkwardly “I’m down there?” She couldn’t help herself and accessed her X-ray vision, seeing an array of augmented bones and mechanical accessories. It made her stomach turn as she noted the skeleton’s bone structure bore a remarkable resemblance to her own.

Dani grasped her hand tighter and pulled her down for a kiss. “No, my love” she placed a hand over Grace’s chest “You, are right here”

Grace nodded again quietly, not really knowing what to say.

“I never got to tell her what she meant to me, and I didn’t get to say goodbye, but I thought it would be fitting to come here one last time to do all of that, to thank her for her sacrifice, and to maybe somehow show her it wasn’t for noting” she squeezed Grace’s hand and brought it to her lips. “I carried her with me this whole time, letting the memory of what she did for me give me strength when I needed it, but the war is over now, everything she fought for” she looked over at Sarah’s grave “everything they both fought for has come to pass” she blew out a cleansing breath “It’s just time” she shrugged her shoulders with a gentle smile, not really able to explain the significance of the moment.

Grace nodded quietly. She still struggled with the whole “other Grace” thing. But she couldn’t deny that the sacrifice this soldier had made had led to a series of events which had changed their fates forever. Allowing Dani and Grace to be together in their timeline, forging their own future together. And for that she had nothing but gratitude.

They stood there together, embracing quietly as the sun started to set. Each imagining what the world held in store for them in the coming weeks, months and years.

Each woman very present and thankful that they’d be able to face it together, in a large part, thanks to Grace’s sacrifice.

***


	13. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun with these characters that I've decided to continue Grace and Dani's story in a series.  
> So, I've added a short epilogue to whet your appetite.   
> A little plot and a little PWP ... hopefully it will keep you interested until I finish writing the second instalment. 
> 
> As always, your feedback is always appreciated.

Grace had taken six months leave after the Resistance had destroyed Legion. But with their travel restricted to Resistance ‘safe zones’ for now, they agreed after a couple months, that their time and skills would be better served going back and helping the Committee in their outreach efforts, trying to expand safe zones and make the Continent a little more connected and therefore less restrictive to travel through.

“I want to take you to the Yucatan one day” Dani had said wistfully one night. And Grace wished she could just make it happen, but the east coast of Mexico, most of Mexico in fact, was unknown territory for now, and therefore definitely not an approved travel destination yet. Especially if you happened to be the Commander, or ex-Commander.

Dani and Grace also recognised that as wonderful as their alone time had been, it would be verging on irresponsible not to be present to help humanity rebuild during such early stages of relative freedom from Legion.

They both knew that the Resistance and the Settlements would need to start reaching out beyond their current safe zones, trying to ensure that any pockets of humanity left around the continents were included in their endeavours if they wanted to be, and that they were given access to the abundant supplies the Resistance kept.

The Committee would need every hand on deck to ascertain whether or not new Settlements would be viable, and if so, begin the process of rebuilding and expanding the communities.

Dani and Grace slowly made their way back to the base and, despite the freedom and the solitude they’d revelled in over the last few months, it actually felt a lot like coming home for them both.

They had radioed Hadrell and signalled their intent to return early several days ago, and as soon as they arrived back at the base a little after midday, he met them and quickly apologised for what was to come as they found themselves immediately carried away in intense meetings and briefings, catching them up on what had been happening in their absence.

It was all a bit jarring or the two who had spent so much time away in relative peace, to suddenly be swallowed up again be the behemoth that was the Resistance. To suddenly feel pulled in multiple directions by the various needs and requests of the Committee members who collectively represented the five large settlements.

Dani took her seat at the Committee table and, despite having relinquished her title as Commander, she quickly discovered that it was still overwhelmingly rejected.

She wasn’t expected to lead the Resistance fighters anymore, but everyone on the Committee still viewed her as their leader and, despite all attempts to discourage it, nobody in any official position seemed comfortable calling her anything other than Commander.

So, grudgingly she accepted the title back, ensuring that Hadrell remained in charge of the military, and Evelyn remained in charge of engineering R&D.

She was happy to help guide the Committee, but she’d been at the head of the giant fighting machine known as the Resistance for half her life, and she had no desire to continue that role.

Grace declined the advancement in rank she was offered immediately upon her returned. She was happy with her Captain’s title, a title which would allow her field time and less desk duties she thought wryly.

After almost six hours of briefings and meeting, Grace flashed Dani a look, and Dani asked for an adjournment. Everyone eagerly agreed and the large room slowly cleared for the evening.

Dani and Grace made their way to the north tunnel. Still heavily guarded despite the tentative transition into peacetime.

Oatmeal was rolling around playfully near the elevator door as they approached, and Grace quickly scooped him up, kissed his furry head and nuzzled his soft belly until he batted her away. She carried him inside the elevator with them, happy to have seen him so soon upon their return.

She’d entrusted his care to the Barracks as a whole. And everyone assured her that he would be well fed and well cared for. _‘well fed indeed’_ she quipped as she felt the extra weight in her arms.

“So” Dani sighed heavily as the doors to the elevator closed.

“Yeah” Grace sighed equally as heavily, putting Oatmeal down and wrapping her arms around her partner “I’m proud of you Dani”

Dani smiled in confusion.

“For being okay with cutting our time away short. For coming back” she lent forward and kissed her gently “For not resisting their need for your leadership”

Dani groaned in mild frustration.

The doors to the quarters opened and Grace carried their heavy bags into the room. Dumping them of the floor and flopping onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Dani joined her, placing her head on Graces shoulder, enjoying the feel of her warmer taller partner gathering her close.

“I’m not sure what I expected” Dani said, the undercurrent of frustration still in her voice.

“You mean, after the war?”

Dani nodded.

Grace kissed the top of her head and sighed again.

“You’re not mad?” Dani asked quietly.

Grace tightened her arm around her smaller lover and smiled. “Not in any way Dani” she turned onto her side and propped her head on one hand.

“This is who you are, just as much as the military is who I am” she smiled and stroked Dani’s soft cheek. “You’re a born leader Dani, and as much as you might have wanted to hand everything over to the Committees once the war was over, everyone still looks to you for direction and leadership” she ducked her head and kissed her lover gently “like it or not, for the time being, you’re still the Commander”

Dani groaned and rolled her eyes, and Grace laughed and the unusual display of outward frustration which made Dani seem much less mature than she was.

She hugged Dani close and they lay together in comfortable silence. The trip back to the base had been long, and the Committee meeting had been even longer. Tentative plans to begin outreach missions and rebuilding operations would be waiting for them when they woke. But for now, as they settled into their familiar surroundings, they let exhaustion pull them toward sleep. Oatmeal purring happily as he curled up alongside Grace’s warm body which was wrapped up around Dani’s.

The Commander had returned, and the air around the base was abuzz with nervous excitement over what the upcoming days and weeks would hold.

Nobody could have predicted the events that were about to transpire, especially not the peacefully sleeping Commander and Captain, the two women who would soon be at the centre of an explosion of exploration, chaos, danger, life changing decisions, and of course, love.

***

Dani awoke to the gentle caress of Graces warm hand over her breast. She smiled and stretched, arching into her lovers’ hand.

“Good morning” Grace murmured from above her and Dani felt her dip her head to nuzzle her neck.

“Morning” Dani replied happily. She kept her eyes closed and let her lover explore. This was probably her favourite way to wake up, and she was in no hurry to begin the day.

Grace slid her body over Dani’s and continued nuzzling her partners neck, breathing in her scent, kissing the pulse point she loved so much, smiling as she felt it quicken.

Dani’s hands came around Grace’s strong shoulders, and she ran them down her smooth back and back up again. Her mouth opened in appreciation but no sound came out.

Grace moved her lips down Dani’s neck, to her collar bone, kissing and sucking gently, loving the way Dani’s sleepy body began to respond to her. She took one of Dani’s nipples into her mouth, and took her other breast in her warm hand, stroking the smooth flesh until both the nipple in her mouth and the one in between her fingers became firm and erect.

Grace smiled around the nipple in her mouth as she felt Dani’s back arch, and her breath hitch.

She moved silently down Dani’s smooth, firm stomach, nuzzling the soft flesh and placing a trail of kisses all the way down to her hip. She settled her body between her lover’s legs and kissed across Dani’s lower abdomen from one hipbone to the other.

Dani still had her eyes closed and had placed one hand softly on the crown of Grace’s head, the other she let rest on her own stomach, feeling the gentle flutter of muscle under her skin. One of Graces arms wrapped around her, to her stomach, and entwined their fingers together.

Grace dipped her head and kissed her lover’s outer lips, feeling Dani’s hips rise in invitation. She reached around Dani with her other arm and grasped Dani’s breast firmly, just as her tongue took its first stroke through her wet folds.

Dani moaned and tilted her pelvis. She squeezed Grace’s hand in hers as though it were an anchor point. The hand that had been resting gently on Grace’s head moved to join Grace’s other hand on her breast and she pressed it more firmly into her flesh.

Grace stroked Dani’s wet folds slowly and evenly. Kissing and licking gently, watching and feeling her lover become more aroused.

Dani’s breaths started to come out in sighs of pleasure and long moans of appreciation. Her stomach started to tighten, and her hips pushed into her lovers’ mouth.

Grace gave Dani’s wet lips one last long kiss before she latched onto her clit. Gently sucking it out from its hood and stroking it softly with her tongue.

“Grace” Dani sighed and arched her back, giving more of herself to her lover. She began to tremble and squeezed Graces hands under hers.

Grace applied firmer pressure on the bundle of nerves with her tongue and sucked just a little more firmly, and Dani’s legs began to shake.

Grace could feel Dani’s orgasm building underneath the soft flesh of her stomach. She took Dani’s nipple between her fingers and began rolling it, applying pressure firmly as she pulled.

“uuughhhh” Dani moaned, and her grip on both her lovers’ hands tightened, as her whole body began to coil.

Grace flattened her tongue and stroked Dani’s clit roughly, and within seconds Dani’s body almost completely arched off the bed as her release came.

Grace quickly climbed back up Dani’s body, bracing herself on her elbows and pinning her smaller lovers’ body to the bed. Dani’s arms wrapped around her lovers’ shoulders and her blunt nails dug into the soft flesh as her body rocked though the orgasm.

Grace kissed her pounding pulse point as she nuzzled into her flushed neck. She felt the body beneath hers clench and relax over an over until slowly Dani’s trembling legs relaxed and dropped bonelessly to the bed.

Grace smiled into her lovers’ neck and Dani hummed her appreciation.

She brought her head from its warm nook and brushed back Dani’s hair from her face.

Slowly Dani opened her eyes and smiled. Her gaze slightly unfocused, her cheeks flushed.

Grace dipped her head and captured Dan’s lips in a soft but passionate kiss.

Dani could only moan around her lovers’ lips and try to pull her body closer. Wrapping her fingers though Grace’s hair, keeping one hand firmly wrapped around her strong lovers back.

Grace reached down and slipped her fingers through Dani’s wet folds again and Dani’s hips rose up in invitation.

She pushed two fingers inside Dani’s tight warm centre and began stroking her. Watching her eyes flutter closed again, her head tilt back, and her mouth open silently.

Grace rocked her body in time with her fingers and Dani’s legs rose up and wrapped around Grace’s hips in silent encouragement.

Grace picked up her pace and Dani’s arms fell from Grace’s head and her back, reaching above her head to find some purchase as her legs clamped down tightly signalling her approaching orgasm.

“Grace” she breathed, throwing an arm over her face to muffle the almost constant moan coming from her mouth.

Grace bore down harder, and slipped a third finger inside her lover, and almost immediately Dani’s stomach tightened, and her breathing stopped.

A few more long strokes and Dani was again arching into her lovers’ long body as another orgasm washed through her.

Grace watched Dani in adoration. Placing gentle kisses along her exposed neck, her jaw, and eventually her lips as Dani came back down. Her body clenching through aftershocks but held firmly by Grace’s heavier, longer frame.

Again, Grace went to her favourite spot and nuzzled Dani’s tender pulse point. Feeling her lover settle she smiled into the soft skin at her lips and whispered “morning”

“mmmmm” Dani breathed quickly and smiled “morning”

They lay locked together for quiet minutes while Dani caught her breath.

“I don’t want to go up” Dani sighed holding Grace close. Knowing that the Committee would be ready to begin another gruelling day of meetings and briefings as soon as they emerged. 

“Me either” Grace whispered.

“But we have to, don’t we?” Dani asked quietly.

“Mmmm” Grace nodded, still placing gentle kisses along Dani’s neck and collarbone.

She pulled her lover from the bed and they got ready for the day by taking comfort in their tender ritual of washing each other.

Dani took a deep breath as she felt Grace’s slick, soapy arms wrap around her. She nodded silently, knowing that with all the experts she’d carefully surrounded herself with over the years, and more importantly, with Grace by her side, they would make this ‘new world’ work. 

“Let’s begin” Dani said with confidence. And Grace felt a nervous excitement start to build inside her.

****


End file.
